Times Like These
by AVNParry427
Summary: An old friend comes home from her last tour in Iraq, Rick has an easy time accepting her back but Shane struggles with how to react. When a zombie pandemic strikes will it bring Shane and her closer? Or push them further apart? ShaneXOC Rated M for Smut. OC Portrayed by Kristin Bell.
1. Days Gone By Part I

*A/N: I tried writing this episode by episode but quickly learned that, that would be too much on you to read. So I decided to split each episode into 'Parts'. I own no characters other than my OC's everything else belongs to the rightful owners AMC, etc. *

A feeling of impending doom loomed over my head that morning. It was a feeling I couldn't shake, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat cradling my duffle bag in my arms as I stared solemnly out my window. "**Rabbit, somethin' wrong?**" My friend Rebecca Bayheart asked concern laced thick in her southern drawl. "**Nah, probably just on edge, still hard to believe we're coming home**" I laughed trying to wrestle down the nagging sensation internally and not let it show. Becca smiled and laughed whole heartedly and turned toward me more in her plane seat. "**May be hard to believe Rabbit, but, Afghanistan, it's over for us, we're done, it's home time brother**" She said softly staring at me with her bright blue piercing eyes, she knew something else was bugging me. I threw my arms up in the air like I was caught. "**Alright, alright I'll 'fess up, damn your stupid soul staring eyes, I dunno what it is Becca, but somethin' just doesn't feel right, like...something bad is gunna happen**" I blurted out putting my duffel bag on my lap and smoothing out the wrinkles on top.

Becca frowned deeply and rubbed my head, making me chuckle. "**Thanks** **for making me feel better Becca**" I said sarcastically. "**Sorry Rabbit, it's just you have this uncanny sense of being right when you feel something bad is about to happen**" She said with a sheepish grin and a shrug of her shoulders. "**So, what do you think it is?"** She continued. "**I dunno Becca, I just know it's not good**" I said sighing heavily as a deep frown set itself on my face. My other friend Benjamin Blackwood popped out from behind me and smiled. "**Aw c'mon Peyton, we're gunna be fine! You need to relax girl, here allow me to ease your stress, you've been working too hard Cap**" Ben said putting his hands on my shoulders and rubbing them.

"**We're technically in theatre A) and B) in your dreams, 'cause my fine ass doesn't settle for less than perfection**" I said with a wink and gently pulled his hands off of me. "**Peyton, one day you're gunna realise that I'm your Mr. Perfection, and on that day some other lady will have swept me away**" He said resting his chin beside my head rest. "**Yeah, and when that day comes, I'm sure pigs will have grown wings**" I shot back as I tilted my head backward and smiled at him upside down. "**You say that now...**" He continued and I playfully swatted his arm. Finally after a few hours we landed at the Airport and myself, Ben, and Becca shared a cab and drove out to King's County where we all resided.

Ben and I had known each other since Kindergarten where as Becca and I didn't meet until high school when she transferred from Arizona. It didn't take long to reach King's County from our airport so Becca took off to her home, Ben never had family so he came home with me and we started unpacking our bags. "**You wanna tell me about what you were feeling on the plane Rabbit?**"He asked seriously, not looking up from his bag as he pulled clothes out and tucked them neatly into his drawers. "**I thought it was nothing and that I needed to relax**" I shot back as I unpacked my things in the room across from him.

"**I just didn't want to rile Becca up is all, you know how she gets when you have one of your premonitions**" He answered softening his tone. "**Yeah well, I dunno Ben, all I know is it aint good whatever it is**" I said opening my middle drawer and staring at my shirt for a long minute. "**Whatever it is it has you thinking you shouldn't unpack doesn't it?**"He asked standing in my doorway. "**Yeah, and to pack more**" I answered while rubbing my temples. "**I know something big, bad, and ugly is coming our way, and I just wish I knew what**" I continued as I looked up at him helplessly and flopped my ass down on the edge of my bed. "**What is it telling you specifically then Rabbit?**" He urged as he walked toward me and kneeled in front placing his hands on mine.

"**I feel like we should pack food, water, survival gear, and weaponry**" I said swallowing hard. "**Ok, and what kind of weaponry are we talking here?**"Ben questioned with a worried look. "**Guns, knives, bludgeon weaponry, the works**" I answered nervously. "**Rabbit, you're freaking me out**" He said, his voice shaking a bit. "**And just how do you think I feel?**" I snapped, then caught myself and apologized. "**Look, Rabbit we'll pack up your suggestions, grab Becca, and we'll head out to my brother's place in Chicago**" He said holding my hands. "**Sounds like a plan, but Ben, one adjustment**..." "**Let go of my hands please, I feel like you're being intimate**" I continued and he grinned sheepishly, embarrassed that he'd been caught red handed holding my hands. For the next hour or so Ben and I packed all of our guns, ammo, survival gear, food, the works. Neither of us knew what was driving us to this point of what would seem to others, insanity. We were loading up my Dodge Dakota and I had just grabbed my sniper rifle to keep on hand, when I suddenly felt myself get picked up and whirled around in the air, I looked down and it was Rick Grimes, my neighbour across the street and Sherriff's Deputy of King's County. "**Rick-a-ma-role!**" I exclaimed as he set me down and I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly, he laughed whole heartedly and returned the hug.

"**Why hello there G.I. Jane**" He said as we broke our embrace and Lori, his wife, and Carl his son gave me a hug. "**Hey Peyton**" Carl and Lori said in unison. "**Hey guys**" I said cheerfully returning their hugs and letting Lori walk over to Ben with Carl. "**How goes things in this sleepy little town Deputy Grimes?**" I asked with my hands on my hips and a genuine smile. "**I don't know G.I. Jane, why don't you come over to the station with me and find out? Just like old times**" He said folding his arms and bearing a cocky grin. The invitation made me frown, not that I didn't want to take him up on his offer, normally when I had finished a tour and came home I would help him around the station but with this nagging feeling tugging at my heart strings I just felt like I needed to get away. "**Rabbit, you blanked out on me where'd you go?**"He asked pulling me further away from the truck so no one else would hear our conversation.

"**Sorry, Rick, just been a hard day is all, probably still adjusting to the fact that I'm pulled out of Afghanistan for good now**" I lied, which of course Rick could always tell too, I'd known Rick since we were babies, my dad was friends with his and would always bring me over to play with Rick. "_**Rabbit**__" _He said in a warning tone. "**Just a feeling is all, a bad one**" I sighed heavily, right now I felt like I was Ms. Gloomy-pants bringing terror to all my friends. "**Rabbit, I'm sure it's nothing, now come with me to the station, no buts**" He ordered. I smiled a small smile and he put an arm across my shoulders. _'Doesn't he remember __**why**__ my nickname is Rabbit?_'_'_ I thought to myself with frustration, but Rick always knew how to cool me down, though the feeling was still there it had sank back a little. Ben strode over to Rick and me and smiled down at me. "**Hey, I just got invited to have lunch with Lori and Carl, and I have to go into town anyway to pick up some supplies and groceries so go ahead and help Rick while I make sure we're good to go**" He urged, I looked up at him with confusion and he just shot me a look that said 'I'll explain later'. "**Alright, Sherriff's station it is then Rick**" I said as cheerfully as possible and then Ben went off and walked Lori and Carl across the street to their house and we followed until we got to his car and drove off to the station. It was roughly a 7-10 minute drive to the station from our street so we had plenty of time before his shift for me to get changed into my old uniform and him and me to catch up. Rick handed me my sniper rifle when I came out of the locker room and I slung it over my right shoulder and started adjusting my strap.

"**Y'know Peyton, seeing you do that, sends a chill up my spine, you must've done this a million times over in Afghanistan, and every one of those times I was at my bedside praying for you and for your safe return, now here you are standing before me and it all just seems so...surreal**" Rick said which caused me to stop what I was doing momentarily before continuing on never breaking eye contact with my strap.

"**I appreciate the prayers Rick, it means a lot to me that someone in this godforsaken town doesn't think me a monster, also, I missed you too buddy**" I said softly as I finished with my strap and then turned to look at Rick with a smile, he smiled back and then we heard the door close and foot-steps near us. When I looked up I saw none other than Shane Walsh standing in the door way leaning on the frame, arms folded and a disapproving facial expression. "**Well well, if it isn't the Hero of War come back to pay us **_**low life hicks **_**a visit**" Shane sneered and I scoffed and rolled my eyes at him.

"**Where the hell did that come from Shane?**" I snapped. "**What? Did I happen to find 'little miss too good for anyone's sore spot?**" He continued his voice dripping with venom, he didn't know how much this was hurting me inside. "_**Shane**_" Rick warned him, slowly standing up from his seat. "**What Rick? Can't you tell I'm just SO happy she could finally come home and grace us with her heroic presence?**"He spat angrily. "**Uh yeah you hit a sore spot dick head, I don't think anyone's a low life and I don't even know what has you so pissed at me!**" I barked. "**You left us! You thought you were too good for this town, too good for us! Too good for your OWN FRIENDS** **and now your back with your fancy medals to make us look bad, to make us look like we aren't worth your time of day**" He snapped full force. "**Shane that's enough get in the cruiser we'll meet you out there!**" Rick interrupted before I could fight back and Shane hesitated a moment as if he were going to say something back, before turning sharply on his heel and storming out of the station.

"**Ouch**" I finally said sarcastically while rolling my eyes and I went to walk out of the building to their cruiser when Rick snatched my arm. "**Take it easy on him Rabbit, he's...gotten a lot angrier since high school, stuff has happened**" He said with an apologetic smile. "**Doesn't make it an excuse to go around being an asshole to people**" I shot back. "**I know I know but just give him some time, and then we'll all become The Three Musketeer's again**" He replied moving his hand from my forearm to my shoulder. "**Whatever you say Dr. Phil, I could care less, but the next time he snaps at me like that, you can't stop me from snapping back**" I answered with a frustrated sigh. "**It's a deal**" He said cheerfully before we headed out the building. I hopped in the back and Rick took the wheel and Shane was already in the passenger seat with his arms still folded and he kept staring out the passenger side window. We drove around for awhile until about lunch time when we pulled up to a local burger joint and grabbed some food. I grabbed mine and sat in the back seat quietly observing everything in the surrounding environment, it was a particularly quiet day not too many people were out and about, my guess was they were still at work. I took a huge bite of my burger and my eyes rolled back into my skull with delight, I hadn't had food this good in 4 years which was the last time I was home.

Rick chuckled but knew better than to say anything just in case he set Shane off. I went back to surveying the area and let Shane and Rick have their talk. I picked out bits and pieces about Rick & Lori having a rough time with things but I'd already known this, Rick went out and got himself a cell phone so that he and I could talk more than just on a scrap of paper. Every night he'd be the one that I'd call, and we would talk about everything and anything. Rick was like family to me, he always had been, I remember the days when all of his girlfriend's would get jealous and think I was trying to steal him away, it was always a good laugh. Then he met Lori and I knew right away the two of them would get hitched sooner or later. She passed my test when she knew instantly I was family to Rick and not out there to keep him from dating girls altogether.

I was lost in my own thoughts munching on my burger when a call across the radio came about a speeding car. I threw my burger in a bag and tossed it on the floor while Shane threw his food in the garbage and we took off. We reached the bottom of a small hill on an empty road and Shane and Rick threw down a strip of road spikes and set up beside their cars with their revolvers, I was ordered by Rick to find a high point and take position. It felt like I'd never stop being a soldier, and to be honest, that didn't bother me. I found a tree and perched myself up there lying in prone position on the thickest branch and set my sights up. I pushed the button on my radio and let Rick know I was in position.

The steel silvery blue 1971 Pontiac GTO came barrelling down the long empty road with two cruisers in pursuit of him; finally he hit the road spike and flipped, spun, and flew around in the air before finally smashing into the grassy side of the road. It landed on the roof and a man crawled out only moments after wielding a gun. "**GUN! HE'S GOT A GUN**" I shouted and that caused every other officer to order the man to drop his weapon and surrender, only the man didn't. Rick and the other officers fired and returned fire.

Rick was hit once but I had seen the round punch his vest and he was fine, the other officers continued fire until the man was down and dead. I went to get down from my tree and that bad feeling came back so I hurried but unfortunately my left foot was caught under a branch so when I turned around to get off of my branch my ankle twisted and I fell from the tree and landed on my back. Luckily only my ankle was injured so I got up on my right foot, grabbed my sniper rifle and hobbled over to the cruisers, but when I looked up I saw a man crawl out from the passenger side of the car and take aim, I whipped my rifle up and fired but unfortunately even though I pegged a headshot my bullet hit him half a second after he fired his round and it punched Rick's left shoulder. "**NO!**" I cried out helplessly, adrenaline took over and I ran over to Rick unable to feel the pain. "**SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE**" I shouted angrily and when I reached him I was unable to hold my tears back as Rick Grimes, my brother, my best friend since birth lay on the cement in shock as Shane kept the pressure on his wound and talked to him to try and keep him awake.

Rick faded out and I saw Shane look up and shot me a menacing glare. I knew what he was thinking and my heart sank. "**Not much of a soldier are you...or a friend, you couldn't even save him**" He growled and my heart went from sinking to going right up in my throat. I couldn't help but agree with him as tears streamed down my face and I looked down again at Rick. '_I failed him, I failed him and now because of my mistake he could die_' I thought to myself. One of the other officer's by the name of Leon Basset pushed Shane and another officer kept his hands on Rick's shoulder. I snapped out of my misery momentarily to break up the fight but Shane had already wound a punch up and just when I got a hold of Leon to separate him I was punched in the face by Shane, a punch meant for Leon. I stumbled backwards a bit on my bad ankle before falling on my butt, I sat up and held my face gingerly in the palm of my right hand, I saw Leon in between my fingers advance to a shocked Shane who looked like a deer in headlights at me. I snatched Leon's thigh with my left arm and pulled him back and let my right hand drop. "**Enough Leon, Rick requires medical attention, this is no time to fight**" I said softly in between shallow breaths.

Leon jerked away from my grip and I let him go. "**Peyton I-**" "**Go help Rick**" I growled low, Shane looked torn for a moment but knew that I was right to tell him to go to Rick. Someone had to be with him in the ambulance and I felt I didn't deserve to be in there with the man that I most likely cost his life. I stalked off to the cruiser the other officers looking at me sadly as I began to gimp again. Leon rushed over to me as I fell over when I tried to place weight on my bad ankle. "**What's wrong Peyton?**" Leon bellowed out as he rushed to my side. "**I'm fine just hurt my ankle**" I mumbled. Leon looked up at my face and chuckled a bit. "_**Just**_** hurt your ankle Peyton? C'mon let's get you to the hospital too, your wound is bad too**" He re-assured me before picking me up bridal style and carefully walked me to his cruiser where his partner opened the back seat door for me and Leon laid me down before he and his partner hopped in the car and tore off down the street.

The pain set in when my adrenaline wore off finally at the hospital and I was thrown on a gurney myself. I grimaces and my face twisted up in pain. "**Guys just take care of Rick, he needs it more than I do**" I begged them but the nurses ignored me and strapped me down. "**What the fuck? I know you pricks heard me, now go take care of Rick he was SHOT! DAMNIT HE WAS SHOT**" I spat angrily disgusted at them as I struggled trying to break free of the restraints, but it was hopeless as one of the doctors injected some sort of knockout drug and put me to sleep. When I awoke I was still strapped down and there was a nurse in my room smiling down at me. "**Hello, Miss Tacoma, my name is Heather and I'm your nurse... a few things, I wanted to let you know your friends Mr. Blackwood and Miss Bayheart are here to visit you, you're ankle was only slightly rolled so it's all healed now, and..."** She trailed off her smile faded into a frown. "**Rick is stable, he's in a coma but he's stable, you can visit him now if you like, your friends have agreed to walk you to him**" She finally finished with a weak smile of sympathy as she removed the restraints.

I nodded and got out of my bed and got dressed after the nurse left, apparently Ben had taken my sheriff's uniform because it was covered in blood from the fight, who's it was, was anyone's guess so I had only my regular army uniform to wear. I walked out and Ben and Becca were standing outside of my door with coffee's in hand and worn out exhausted expressions plastered on their faces. They turned when they saw me and their eyes were the only thing that lit up when they came over and hugged me, I gave them a quick hug before telling them to take me to Rick, don't get me wrong I was excited to see them but Rick was more important, his state was far worse than a _slightly _rolled ankle. When we reached his room Ben and Becca stayed outside the doors to allow privacy, and I bolted in and quietly jogged to his side and held his hand that was on top of the blanket, knelt down and rested my chin on the bedside. "**I'm sorry Rick, I love you bud, I was so stupid**" I whispered as tears threatened to pour down my cheeks again. "**It's not your fault you know, I was the stupid one**" I jumped back and into the medicine cabinet smacking my head into its side.

I looked up quickly as I rubbed the back of my at Rick to see if he woke up, but nothing, not even a stir, finally my eyes looked over at Shane emotionlessly. "**Don't try and make me feel better Walsh, what you said...you were right**" I grumbled looking back at Rick helplessly, I saw Shane wince for a moment from me calling him by his last name before he hid it. "**Look Peyton, I'm trying to apologize, so accept it already, 'cause you might not get another one**" He said folding his arms and looking out the window agitated. "**I don't want your apologies**" I growled angrily as I stopped rubbing my neck realising I had cut it a bit from the impact of the medicine cabinet by seeing the blood on my fingers where I rubbed. I quickly rubbed it off on the bottom of my right boot. "**Look Peyton if you're looking for a fight-**" "**I'm not, I'm just frustrated, all of this is because of me...**" I trailed off and sighed, Shane looked back over to me and got out of the seat and pulled me up and into a hug, my face buried against his chest but my arms stayed limp at my sides.

"**Listen here, mini musketeer, stop blaming yourself, it wasn't your fault at all, it was the passenger and the other officers for not doing their job and spotting the guy sooner, you would've seen him had you not have fallen from the tree, I just said the stuff I said because I've been dealing with a lot lately and I haven't figured a way to harness my anger yet and find a proper way to blow off steam, and because of that I took it out on you**" He explained as he stroked the back of my head, I prayed he didn't see the blood. "**Thanks Shane**" I said simply as I closed my eyes and returned the hug and I felt him rest his chin on my head. "**Rick told me by the way**" Shane spoke up again after a moment. I looked up at him confused and he still held a concerned look. "**Told you what?**" I asked curiously as I pulled away slightly but still held his sides, now I could be imagining things but I could've sworn that for a split second I saw Shane look disappointed.

"**He told me you had PTSD**" He said after awhile, I jerked back and whipped around to the window and placed my hands on the sill and stared furiously out the window. "**Well he didn't exactly come forthright about it**" He began as he took off his hat and began to play with the sides of it nervously like a kid caught in trouble. "**He was in the shower and his cell went off, I saw it was a text from you and opened it, I was curious, so I read it and saw that you texted him saying that you found a way to deal with your PTSD, which made me happy and relieved that you were ok, but sad that you had it, and mad that you never once attempted to make contact with me let alone tell me you were having...problems**" He explained further.

I grabbed the window sill until my knuckles turned white, my jaw was clenched. "**First off it's not a problem Walsh, every soldier gets it, and you would too if you've seen even ¼ of the shit that I've had to, or done a speck what I've had to do, when you join you know the consequences, but it never hits you until something happens to jerks you into reality...I would've contacted you Walsh had you not made it perfectly clear that I wasn't welcome in your life anymore all those years ago**" I snapped turning around full force and storming over to him before jabbing him in the chest with my index finger my 5'2 frame pressed aggressively against his 6 ft. frame.

He had at least a 10 inches on me and I didn't care I had my chest puffed out and my teeth bared in intimidation, he never scared me and never would. Shane stood there taking everything I said in looking into my eyes, considering carefully what to say. "**I can't make an excuse for the way I was in high school, I snapped and shut you out even though I had no reason to, when you left, there were so many things I needed to tell you, I never even got the chance to tell you-**" my cell rang cutting him off, it was General Keating. "**Captain Peyton Tacoma, your presence is required at your nearest base ASAP, there's been an incident and we need all the help we can get, sorry to cut your home time short Captain, but I wouldn't call if it weren't of the utmost importance, the head honcho at the base assured me the matter was urgent**" General Keating ordered.

"**Yes sir, understood**" I replied and he hung up, so I threw my phone in my pocket. "**That was my boss, sorry Shane but I gotta go**" I said giving him a quick smile, the feeling hit me full force again, the impending doom felt like it loomed closer than I liked. "**When Rick wakes up tell him his baby sister loves him, and while you're at it, get him something nice for me**" I requested before dashing over to Rick and quickly brushed his hair back from his forehead with my finger-tip less gloved hand and kissed his forehead. When I went to bolt to the door, Shane grabbed my arm and pulled me in for a quick kiss on the lips. "**Come home to us Peyton, promise me you will come home**" He said as he stared into my eyes with his serious brown ones, I smiled quickly. "**I'll try**" I said quickly before he could protest me avoiding the promise and I headed out the door to meet Ben and Becca.


	2. Days Gone By Part II

Becca and Ben both had frustrated looks as we took off out of the hospital in our uniform, jogged to our car, and sped off to the nearest base. When we arrived there soldiers were lined up along the main hallway on our right with a long stretch of tables in front of them. They began rifling for our size of combat gear we got the grey combat uniform with a pale green Kevlar vest, guns and ammo, and seeing as how we had our tan combats on already they skipped to giving us the directions to where we were supposed to go. The resounding thud of our boots synchronizing bounced off of the large hallway walls as we jogged to the locker room. When we got there, well, remember that impending doom I've been feeling all along today? Well it hit me full force. We got changed into our combats and jogged back out guns loaded and at the ready. General Keating was there surprisingly along with a tall gangly looking man with dark brown hair slicked down flat like it was covered in mud. '_And do the creep hah do the creep hah...I'm surprised he doesn't have a pencil moustache..._.' I joked inwardly to myself fighting a laugh.

This guy was a creep alright, the way he leered at me and Becca, to him this was probably the closest to a female he'd been near let alone pretty ones (not to be cocky or anything). "**Captains, we've set your squads up, they're ready to go in another room and they've been briefed...to a point**" The general spoke first and when he finished he gave the creepy guy a hard intimidating stare as if to say 'your turn', which I'm sure was unintentional but that's how Keating always looked, mean and tough. "**Uh yes right, well, for some time now we've been erm...experimenting, we were-**" "**Out with it man!**" General Keating barked out causing me to let out a little laugh, but I quickly controlled it and stopped it with a clearing of my throat, Keating looked at me and smiled a bit before returning back to his intimidating scowl. "**We were experimenting on humans to make the ultimate soldier, nothing dangerous of course but when we travelled to a location that shall remain unknown to you, we found this...**"He trailed off fishing a remote out of his pocket and that caused Becca and Ben to both rub my head making Keating giggle, he was very aware of my nickname and how I got it, because he was the one who invented it when he was my Major a few years back. He had only recently become General in place of a psychotic blood hungry warmonger by the name of Ian McKeen or as he referred to himself 'King'.

The scientist clicked a big red button '_Not ominous at all..._' and a light switched on to reveal an interrogation room with a man slumped in a corner. "**A man half eaten and still walking"** He finished and almost as if on cue the man raised his head and his pale blue orbs glanced around the room, only when he lifted his head were we able to see half of his jaw missing and blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. Ben swallowed hard before asking a question we were all thinking. "**Sir, permission to ask whose blood that is?**" He asked shakily. "**His own, now ladies and gentlemen this...creature only-**" "**Feasts on flesh, I know what that is you freaking homicidal maniac!**" I whispered harshly at him and ripped the remote out of his hand and clicked the button unwilling to see that monstrosity again. "**Ma'am I suggest you calm down, I am no murdering psychopath I assure you, I never created it, also it cannot hear you, no need to be fearful**" He said trying to stand tall and tough by puffing out his chest and attempting to size himself up, he smirked a little when he told me not to be afraid.

I walked closer until I was in his face, and poked his chest causing him to shrink down a bit. "**I don't care who made it you fucking retard! YOU brought it here, YOU brought it to a place where it could infect others...YOU led a freaking ZOMBIE onto our home soil!**" I growled, my pearly whites bared at him, the General cleared his throat causing me to look up, I backed off putting on a poker face, but my body still showed signs of stress, my chest was rising with every shallow furious breath I took. "**I understand your frustration Captain Tacoma, but you more than anyone else in this room should understand that we cannot fall under pressure at times like these**" He said simply, but still firm with his gruff voice."**Sir, permission to speak freely**" I requested and after a moment he nodded. "**This is disgusting, we're allowing a possible spread of infection when we don't even know what caused that zombie in there to get that way**" I responded throwing my hands around dramatically, when I said 'allowing a possible spread of infection' General Keating's frowned deepened.

"**Oh-oh no, please don't tell me it's already happened**" I said my heart up in my throat, I felt like I was going to puke at any moment and I turned to the scientist again. "**May I ask how IN THE **_**FUCK**_** did this happen?**" I barked storming over to the scientist again, this time he fell back into a seat that was beside the computer monitors, I had gotten so close to him. "**I-Well that is to say— after we retrieved the specimen we took it to a base not far from this one in a nearby town and a few days ago at feeding time we went to throw it some raw meat through the door slot but...the zombie bit him, he never reported it, and hours later he was taken to infirmary where he turned...his partner later told us how it had happened**" He explained nervously as he fidgeted with his fingers. "**Exactly how many are infected?**" Becca asked her southern drawl dripping with hatred, I looked over at her, noticing that her blue eyes held fear, Ben's brown ones held the same unmistakable look of fear.

I turned back to the scientist expecting an answer, and I got one, he was shaking like a leaf and probably close to peeing himself. "**We don't know, all we know is that the base is completely shut down, we've lost all contact with them**" He answered shakily; I spun hotly on my heel and went to the door. "**Unlock that door, I'll take the first step in eradicating the threat**" I ordered with my hand on the handle before stepping out of our room and standing in front of the interrogation room that held the zombie. I took my pistol out of its holster and turned the safety off before clicking the button on my radio, and saying check. Becca heard me loud and clear and relayed to me that the door had been unlocked and I saw the light turn on inside the room, I heard her swallow hard and her scared shallow breaths over my comm. I looked through the peep hole and saw that the zombie was still in its corner staring angrily at the mirror, so when I saw that it was clear to go in...I stepped inside and aimed at the zombies head. "**May you finally rest in peace and be with your God**" I said before pulling the trigger and letting the bullet pin him in the head right between the eyes. I backed out of the room and ordered the scientist over the comm. to lock it and I heard the soft click and jiggled the knob just to be safe before walking back into the room with the General, my two friends, and the scientist. "**Now that, **_**that**_** has been finally taken care of, where are the rest of them?**" I grumbled putting the safety back on my pistol and re-holstering it.

"**I'll have you know that specimen was very usef-**" "**That **_**human being**_** doc is **_**useless**_**...it has been since the day it was infected so I suggest you pry your face away from the microscope kid, man the fuck up, and help out**" I growled, General Keating, I guess was just as frustrated as I was so he let me vent out on the stupid guy who got everyone in this whole mess. "**Captain Blackwood, you are to take your squad out and help evacuate the civilians around the base, kill anyone you deem to be undead, if there is a dead body, put a bullet in its head, you will meet your squad in the Wing C gymnasium**" General Keating began and he handed us out a list of our squad members and directions to the gymnasium. "**Captain Bayheart, you take **_**your **_**squad out and get medical provisions and food rations for the poor souls we're saving and the same rules apply with the dead and undead that I gave to Mr. Blackwood and your squad is in Wing B at that gymnasium**" He continued, and they both sounded off a quick 'yes sir' before bounding off to their destination. "**And you Captain Tacoma, are in charge of defence and infiltrating that base to see what the hell is going on, same zombie rule applies, and your team is in the Wing A gymnasium, and kiddo...be safe, all of you**" He ordered and I sounded off a quick 'yes sir' before bolting out of the door and heading to the gymnasium.

When I strode cockily over to my squad, I took one look at them and saw all males and one boy no older than 20 staring back at me with a determined look. "**I don't know what they **_**haven't**_** told you guys yet, but our objective is to pick up survivors and, our squad, gentlemen, **_**is**_** the frontlines**" I bellowed out, a few of the males who had checked me out looked taken aback by my booming voice. "**We are facing a threat I can TELL you is far more scarier than you have ever faced before, I will brief you **_**fully**_** now, as I want you all to be as prepared as possible and not to question me when we face the enemy!**" I began, still keeping my tone loud and firm. "**The enemy looks just like you and me, only, it isn't alive like you and me, it's undead, I know this all sounds so silly and ludicrous but it's true, so aim for the head and nowhere else, if there is a body, put a bullet in its skull, I am **_**not**_** kidding around**" I ordered and all the while I was talking I was examining the squad.

The tall buff red headed guy who reminded me of carrot top by the name of George Wilkes looked at me in pure disbelief, the short but buff Japanese man with a faux-hawk and hair tattoo's named Akio Katsuo wore a 'whatever as if I believe you' look with a smirk, the average height but jacked black man Ajamu Chikezie spoke first. "**So where do we start?**" He said with a confident smirk grabbing his rifle and keeping it at the ready. "**Hold on, you **_**really**_** expect us to believe that some sci-fi fantasy zombie bullshit is really happening here? I mean I knew something fishy was up, but this? Nah**" He said turning to look at Ajamu like he was stupid. The young new soldier with the perfect crew cut by the name of Dallas James spoke up next. "**Guys, she's not kidding, and what you're pulling Akio is insubordination**" He defended me and I held up a hand and walked until I was close to the squad. "**I am your **_**Captain**_** you **_**will**_** follow my orders like it or not, this threat is real, you don't believe me then I guess you'll have to follow me to our next destination and find out for yourselves...or take it up with Keating**" I barked before turning sharply on my heel and walking off with my rifle in my hands.

"**Fall in soldiers**" I ordered coldly and I heard the sound of their synchronized foot falls echo off of the walls as they ran to catch up to me. We left the gymnasium and I took point checking the hallways before walking softly down the main hallway that took me to the main office where Keating and the scientist no longer stood in. I checked the room just in case and popped back out heading back down the empty corridors where the long table of supplies was abandoned. That feeling shook every bone in my body and I felt the kid Dallas rub my head real quick from behind which caused me to giggle a bit but I continued on nonetheless. I saw the front door was open a crack and pulled it open with the tip of my boot and pushed forward and saw choppers everywhere evacuating people. "**Alright gentlemen, let's move out and get this job done**" I said jogging, my men in tow, over to a soldier who waved us over. He handed my squad members pairs of Kevlar gloves and led us to our tan HMMWV (Hummer) and handed me the keys. After we all hopped in, my navigator Akio stared at the map for a moment before telling me the direction to head in to reach the infected base. When we got there the town was deserted, papers and other objects scattered on the ground. Wilkes my communications specialist got on the horn with Keating to let him know we were in 'The Red Zone'. We all took careful steps to the base and when we got to the massive concrete slabs that were walls. Akio walked over to the buzzer at the main wrought iron gates but a sudden flash of movement caught my eyes and I grabbed his hand and cupped a hand over his mouth before he could say anything and silently nodded over my left shoulder causing him to look over and see a soldier slowly wandering around. He looked back over to me wide-eyed and nodded before sending me an apologetic look, not for nearly pressing the button and alerting the possibly infected soldier, but for doubting me earlier about the zombie threat. I let him go and we all stood silently holding our breaths as two more soldiers popped up near the first, it appeared that they were all very much alive and uninfected. The second and third soldier handed the first one a rifle which he gladly took, and they all looked around before their eyes landed on us and they smiled before bounding happily towards us. "**You guys are the squad Keating sent us right? Tacoma?**" He asked hopefully, leaving the gate locked. "**Yes in fact, we are and I am**" I answered with a reassuring smile as I checked him and his friends for bite marks or scratches and he unlocked the gate and let us in.

After we walked through the gates he locked them back up behind us and joined up with me, the other two soldiers stayed with my squad behind us. "**So exactly how many inside are infected?**" I asked in a whisper and he looked up at me scared stiff. "**We're pretty sure the whole building is infected**" He said slowly gaining confidence back. "**Then unlock the doors because 'pretty sure' aren't exactly two words that will keep me from checking for survivors in there, orders are orders and my morals are my morals, NO soldier...alive... gets left behind right?**" I ordered firmly standing my ground and he nodded his head taking us to the base. "**And if they're all infected?**" He asked in a whisper. "**We burn this mother fucking monstrosity down**" I answered harshly and he nodded more confidently this time and when we got to the door he unlocked it. We walked in and an uncomfortable silence settled in, my squad had been smart and put silencers on their pistols when we were outside the gate and shouldered their rifles. I slipped my silencer on and put my finger-tip-less gloves in my left pant pocket and retrieved my Kevlar gloves from my right pants pocket. "**I'm Alex Parker by the way, and my squad mates are Michael Dicenzo and Jared Thompson**" He spoke up and shook my hand jabbing a thumb in the air towards his team mates as he introduced them and I shook his hand back and smiled awkwardly.

After my gloves were on we continued to search the place, so far nothing, not even dead bodies. Just blood smears on the walls, signs of a struggle. The lights flickered on and off quite a bit like some bad horror movie as we advanced slowly down the hallway checking each room for signs of life, undead, or even dead bodies, _anything_ really. We finally came up to the infirmary and saw bodies covered in white blankets and some bodies half eaten lying across the floor. "**Remember quietly take them out, we don't want to alert any others of our presence, if we find survivors we do so quietly**" I whispered and began putting bullets in the heads of the ones on the floor, it took only half a second before my squad helped out. We finished and took a look around the room, and that's when the feeling took its toll, because no sooner than we finished the dead ones, had a large undead male come out from behind a pale green curtain attached to an iv drip stand behind Dallas. The zombie's right hand outstretched toward him so I put my gun up facing Dallas making Dallas' eyes go wide with fear, and snatched his vest pulling him forward and behind me so I could put a round between the zombie's eyes. The large son of a bitch dropped dead...pardon the pun and I turned to Dallas to check on him.

The boy was scared shitless so I rubbed his back gingerly. "**C'mon kiddo, show me those brass balls I know you have**" I joked while giving him a huge pat on his shoulders, making Dallas relax a little and nod. We walked out of that room after a second sweep and closed the door. It seemed the more and more we got closer to the interrogation rooms the more undead we found, the only thing was that these so called zombies were slightly smarter than you tend to read about.

We saw one go as far as to turn a light switch on and off in curiousity, it's eyes wide in astonishment, it was dressed in a hospital night gown and boxers, I suppressed a laugh and put a round through the side of its head. '_Hardly looked undead to me, more like someone with severe developmental disabilities..._' I thought to myself causing me to frown deeply. We continued down the long, and seemingly never ending hallway checking every room, and in every room there were zombies most of the time there were two at a time, sometimes there were four plus. Either way it scared the shit out of me. Suddenly I heard a cry out for help and I jogged towards the sound killing whatever infected lay in my way, reloading every five seconds it seemed.

We finally got to the debriefing room where a man was hiding behind a Plexiglas wall that reminded me of a penalty box at a hockey game. 8 zombies descended upon the glass like vultures, scratching, gnawing and groaning in hunger trying to get at their prey. I used my tongue and put it to my upper teeth and whistled like a master calling his dog and they all turned to us with sombre yet vacant expressions. "**Sup bitches!**" I bellowed out before we all unleashed a fury of properly placed and synchronized shots into each of the undead's brains. Akio chuckled and put a gloved hand on my shoulder from behind me. "**Gotta hand it to you Cap, you sure know how to lighten the mood, also nice Gears of War reference**" He spoke up shaking his head and I grinned back at him and walked over to the shaken up man cowering behind the glass. "**I liked it too**" I said looking back at Akio once and winked playfully.

The man had buried his head in his lap and rocked back and forth with his hands over his ear muff covered ears. I hoisted the dead bodies and tossed them across the room and my team followed suit and tossed the others aside to make a clearing. When we finished I knocked in a musical pattern which caused the man to look up and my eyes were wide as saucers. "**Dad?**" I asked bewildered as I looked down at a dishevelled old man with tears streaming down his face. "**Dad let me in! It's me, Peyton!**"I pleaded banging on the glass, an over excited smile popped onto his face as he recognised two things 1) I wasn't a zombie and 2) I was his daughter. I looked quickly over my shoulder: "**Wilkes, Chikezie, go secure the door and make sure no other surprises decide to show up**" I ordered and they saluted quickly with a 'Ma'am' before doing as they were told and I turned back to my dad placing a gloved hand on the glass. "**Sweetheart, what are you doing here?**" He asked in between hiccups from the crying. "**I had a mission, the General had lost contact with this base so he sent us here to help**" I half explained as he opened the Plexiglas door and stepped out hugging me tightly.

This once rough and tumble kind of man with the stature of a soldier mixed with the height of an NBA player was wrapped around my 5'2 frame sobbing into my left shoulder reduced to nothing but an emotional mess, I guess he figured he was all alone and left to rot or be eaten with no hope of being rescued. To see my dad in such a state broke my heart into a million tiny pieces but I held strong and wrapped my left arm around his side as his whole body shook. "**Shh dad, I'm here...You're not alone and you ARE getting out of here, it'll all be ok**" I assured him and patted his back as he stood and when he looked down at me like a little kid wiping away his tears I smiled up at him with confidence and I held my pinkie out for him and he linked his large one around mine and smiled back. "**Alright let's go home pops**" I said to him before turning to my squad mates. "**Wilkes take point, Chikezie follow Wilkes, Katsuo follow Chikezie, Parker follow Katsuo, Thompson follow Parker, Dicenzo follow Thompson, and James follow Katsuo, our next mission is to get out and report to Keating with the news**" I began and everyone got in a line. I handed my dad a spare gun with a silencer and he nodded his head as I nudged him in front of me.

"**Move out!**"I finished and Wilkes led us out, the occasional zombie appeared from the other rooms on the rest of the first floor, so far, no other survivors. We got to the second floor which had more infected personnel, and after we dispatched them I silently thanked God that there were only two levels. We searched the last few rooms and found no survivors so we headed back downstairs and out. Wilkes stood up straight, relaxed as he took point and I was about to scold him for being so careless when suddenly a zombie popped up out of nowhere it seemed and latched itself onto Wilkes, he tried firing his weapon but the force of the zombies tackle knocked Wilkes to the ground, I immediately moved everyone out of my way and made short work of the zombie before kicking it off of Wilkes, thankfully he wasn't bitten or scratched and I pulled him up onto his feet. After dusting himself off he picked up his gun and dusted his thighs off. "**Woo! Thanks Cap that was close**" He let out and I smacked him upside the head. "**Do that again and I'll hurt you if you don't end up being zombie chow**" I growled before taking point.

"**Wilkes middle of the line, dad get behind me...I'm taking point again**" I barked and everyone fell into place and followed me out as we left the building the three soldiers sighed with relief, a little too soon. "**Where is the gasoline kept?**" I asked Parker and he pointed to a separate building beside the main base we just left, I nodded as he told me to look in the shed portion of the building which looked like an auto body shop and jogged away leaving my squad and Parker's behind. After fighting my way through zombie mechanics I grabbed 6 full canisters of gasoline poured 3 in each of the rooms that made up the shed/shop/mess hall and set it on fire with my lighter and bolted out of there quicker than a...well bunny. Then I rejoined my group and they went to help me set the other building on fire when Dallas tapped my shoulder and handed me two large C4 packs and kept the other two in his hand. "**I was thinking...one for each wall**" He asked more than stated and I nodded before he, myself, Akio, and Ajamu placed the C4's and ran out of the base, we got passed the wrought iron gates before hitting the detonator and tumbling forward onto the ground from the explosion.

When each of us hooted and hollered in triumph only a moment later when I looked up did I see a fighter plane. Over my comm. I heard the pilot give the order to drop the bomb on the town and I hopped to my feet before screaming at my squad to get up and run, my men caught up to me in no time and we headed to the HMMWV and sped off at top speed out of that town and just in time as a loud whistle sounded a few miles behind us and a large mushroom cloud appeared and the force of it blew our HMMWV forward, but thankfully no crash came and we were able to make it back to King's County safely. I had a white knuckled grip on the steering wheel and my jaw was clenched tightly, Keating was getting an earful. When we made it to the base I followed the soldier who directed us in, and saw that Keating had returned with the scientist.

When we got out I stormed over to the scientist and the three soldiers we picked up at the base tore after the scientist. "**Whoa whoa whoa guys!**" I yelled as myself, Ajamu, and Wilkes grabbed the three soldiers before they could beat the living daylights out of the guy. We held them back and General Keating didn't look impressed. "**General please don't punish them, they've been through enough of that to last a life time and then some**" I pleaded as they all calmed down after being held for awhile. "**Sorry for our irrational behaviour sir, it's just—we had to shoot our own friends, brothers in arms...our families**" Thompson spoke just about at his breaking point. Keating's expression softened and nodded. "**Very well**" He replied simply before pulling me aside and the doctor followed suit. "**Peyton, we have a problem, in the few short hours you were over at the other base, half of our town has gotten the infection, as to how, we have no idea, but we need you, and Captain Blackwood to scour the east side of the city that has been affected and repeat what you did back at the other base and also patrol it until I get word from higher up**" Keating said firmly but his eyes watered and his voice cracked a bit before handing me a photo. "**If you see this woman, and she is alive, please bring her back to me, if she is...you know...then you know what you have to do**" He ordered and when I looked at the photo my heart broke once more, it was his wife Evelyn or 'Evie' as he affectionately knew her as. "**I'll bring her home General, you keep yourself safe for her**" I ordered back and he nodded in understanding, he knew that I was trying to reassure him that his wife was alive.

By now you're probably wondering how I know Keating and why a General allows such personal behaviour for me. Well General Gabriel Keating was my Major as you know, but one mission he was captured by Iraqi terrorists, HQ basically told me to leave him behind, or I'd lose my job.I ran into the terrorist caves where they smuggled females from other countries into their lands to be sold at the highest price to be nothing more than a sex slave and found Keating beaten, bloody, and bruised tied to a chair. I freed him and together we rescued over twenty women and had them brought back to their own countries. Not only was I awarded a medal but I was promoted to Captain by a woman on the counsel who managed to convince her colleagues that what I had done was the right thing, Keating was bumped up to Lieutenant Colonel... that was years ago. Keating became family and I guess he must feel he still owes me so he allows the odd slip of emotion and personal frustration every now and again.

I was about to leave when he dismissed me when a thought suddenly occurred to me and I turned back around. "**Sir, may I ask why just my squad and Captain Blackwood's? What about Captain Bayheart?**" I asked warily. He frowned and sighed heavily before guiding me gently with his hand on the small of my back to a row of bodies laid out under white sheets. "**She was one of the infected we had to kill, I'm so sorry Rabbit**" He spoke up again rubbing my back up and down as a gesture of comfort. I stared long and hard at her personal white sheet, seeing strands of her red hair peek out from under the sheet. I nodded sharply before asking to be dismissed for the mission, I had to carry on no matter how much I wanted to bang my fists against the wall, break down, bawl my eyes out, punch something, scream, _anything_ to vent out my frustration. I had to kill men and women who helped me serve the country, old squad mates, and now Becca was dead, one of my best friends. I noticed the other sheets had tags on them, almost like makeshift toe tags and when I squatted down I saw that beside her, was her family.


	3. Days Gone By Part III

I felt sick to my stomach, but at least in more ways than one she was with her family. I stood up and looked up at General Keating. "**These are hard times General, but I cannot, will not, fail you or my country**" I said with a driven look and a tone of determination. He nodded and dismissed me, allowing me to join my squad once more and with Ben's and set off to the East sector of the town. We left in the HMMWV in silence; me and Ben never once looked at each other even when discussing strategies. When we got to the eastern part of town infected humans were walking everywhere, not a whole lot per residential area but enough to give a small squad of ten a hard time. Veronica Humes popped up on top of the HMMWV and grabbed the gun and began firing headshots on all the infected hooting and hollering. I would have joined in on the fun but instead opted for hanging out of my window slightly and firing at the infected's with my rifle. Akio followed suit and soon it was a giant blood spray fest of zombie's flesh and blood flying out in several directions. We finished the first set of 10 residential streets before Ben parked on Fino Boulevard and let Akio, myself, and Dallas go in home by home and sweep the area for survivors.

It took us days to kill the infected, we found spare ammo and weapons as well as had the guns and ammo Ben and I prepared at the beginning of the week so there was no shortage really. Unfortunately though after day 5 we began losing squad members...

DAY 5 7:35 a.m.

We had set up a small fire and Wilkes looked particularly peeved. He was pacing and I could see him nearly at a snapping point so I took him away from the fire further and talked to him. "**Cap, I can't take it anymore there are NO FUCKING SURVIVORS! We can go home! We don't need to be out in the shit end of town**" He barked loudly at me and I smacked him upside the head. "**Pull yourself together soldier! First of all you know damn well when you yell they hear you, and I swear to GOD if you attract a horde I'll show you the shit end of my rifle, I WILL NOT endanger anyone else here because you can't handle a few days of patrol and searching for survivor's we are soldiers, we do as we are told, Keating hasn't heard a word from higher up so for now we wait, which is fine as we are still going over the area with a fine tooth comb**" I whispered angrily as I jabbed his chest (my trademark when I was pissed) with my index finger. Wilkes just stared at me with a furiousness I had never seen before and he stormed off without a word to a forest nearby us, I called out for him to stop but he continued on.

I jogged after him, but a Walker, as our group had come to call the undead, came out from the bushes and latched onto Wilkes taking him to the ground and tearing a chunk of flesh out from his neck, I took my pistol from my thigh holster and I fired a round into its eye which went through his brain and killed him. I looked over at Wilkes who looked up at me from the ground holding onto his wound with one hand shaking violently and the other reaching up at me. I stared down at him and moved my boot away when he made a move to hold onto it. I raised my pistol from my thigh again and aimed it at his head. "**P-P-Please Peyton, d-d-d-don't kill me**" He begged as he cried helplessly. I stared at him emotionlessly for a moment before showing my sadness. "**Sorry George, but I can't, on good conscience, let you live to murder another human being**" I explained and he looked away for a moment before nodding understandingly. I backed away as I fired a round and let it spiral through between his eyes and seep into his brain at what would be a blindingly fast rate.

I returned to camp and told everyone what happened and we all packed the stuff up, put the fire out and drove off. Day 7 we lost two of Ben's soldiers; Hume and Browning. They had been attacked by zombies while on search and patrol and naturally we had to put them down. Pretty soon after three weeks it was Ben, Akio, Dallas, and myself. Finally word came about halfway through the third week in from higher up that we had lost most of our soldiers, and that we were excused to escape and find sanctuary in Atlanta or somewhere else. I chose to look for my friends, for Rick, Shane, Lori, Carl, and Leon. My squad and friend Ben came with me for support. We got to the hospital and I insisted on going in alone, and they eventually gave in.

When I went to his room he was gone and agitated zombies were desperately trying to escape a metal door chained and blocked with the words 'DON'T OPEN DEAD INSIDE' were scrawled across with what looked like spray paint. I kicked the large doors which sent the walker flying back when the door hit its face. After searching the whole hospital I found nothing so I left and we went back to our street, and that's when we saw a walker get its head blown off by a random black male and my friend Rick Grimes who was sitting on his lawn get smacked in the face with a shovel by a young black kid screaming that he 'got one'. I demanded Ben stop the HMMWV and I hopped out and booked it to him. I ignored the pleas of the large black male to stop and grabbed Rick and held him close to my body protectively. I took my glove off and put my wrist to his forehead and felt that he had no fever. "**Thank God you made it Rick**" I said pushing him up, sitting myself down and laying him across my lap with his head cradled in my arms. "**Woman are you crazy?**" The kid yelled at me and I shot him a glare.

"**He's not infected no fever**" I explained in a low and angry tone. The father came over to me out of breath and pointed his gun at me. "**What kind of wound does he have? And why didn't you listen? I almost thought you were a Walker**" He asked angrily, I shot him the nastiest glare ever but didn't make a move to jostle Rick. "**As I just told your shovel hitting happy friend here you deaf son of a bitch, he's not infected, he has no fever, his wound was a gun shot from a couple of weeks ago**" I snapped at him holding Rick closer to me. I kept hearing him call out for Carl and Lori...his last word was... my name which broke my heart. My squad brought the hummer up and they all climbed out with weapons trained on the two males. "**Lower your weapons guys, they're not infected either**" I ordered sharply as I still trained my glare on the older male. "**Look we're sorry Ma'am, you gotta understand we're just being careful, I will admit it was stupid on my son's part, Duane apologize to this young lady and when her boyfriend wakes up, him too**" He ordered softly and his son Duane nodded before apologizing to me. "**Sorry for snapping on you too, it's just, it's been three weeks since I last seen him, I didn't know if he was alive, dead, or undead, so when I saw him alive and he got hit, I snapped**" I apologized back and the older male who I later learned was named Morgan helped me bring Rick into the makeshift fort that was Rick's neighbours home, Dallas pulled the hummer into the driveway on the side closest to the front door and Morgan allowed myself and my squad plus Ben to stay.

I stayed by Rick's side and had my chin resting on the bed; he was tied up just in case I was wrong about him not being infected. Morgan walked in with his son Duane and Morgan went to the other side of the bed across from me and Duane sat down on a wooden chair in a corner by the door. "**You seem awfully protective of this man, even go as far as hold him in your arms despite risk of infection and you're a soldier so you're more than well aware of the walker situation**" Morgan spoke up, his tone judgemental. "**Lovers aren't worth the risk of infection young lady**" He continued and I laughed a little bit before sitting up and looking at him. "**You just contradicted yourself there Morgan, You're right, I'm more than aware of the walker situation, but wouldn't that make me the expert on who is infected and who isn't? I'm awfully protective over him because he's been my best friend since before we could walk or talk, thus we're family, I love him like a brother, he isn't my lover**" I answered softly as I looked over at Rick with a sad smile and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Morgan smiled apologetically at me but his look changed to worry as Rick began to stir, and Morgan stormed over to me and jerked me back. I was about to yell at him when I saw Rick wake up completely. I looked at Morgan to say 'I told you so' when Rick called my name out causing me to rip from Morgan's grasp and run over to Rick hugging him tightly. "**I just knew you weren't infected**" I said happily and I felt his chest vibrate from laughter which caused me to laugh along with him. "**Come downstairs and join us when you're able**" Morgan offered before he and Duane disappeared downstairs. "**So, how'd you find me?**" He asked his voice raspy from the exhaustion. "**My squad and I were put on patrol around the area, we were relieved a few days ago and I came looking for you...where are Shane, Carl, and Lori?**" I asked him with a frown when he looked away hurt all over his face. "**I don't know Peyton, but I just **_**know**_** they aint dead**" He answered his voice cracking a bit, from exhaustion or depression, I didn't know.

I cut his restraints forgetting he was tied up before and when that was done I helped him out of bed and explained how Duane and Morgan had been helping me take care of him all the while going down the stairs to meet up with the two strangers. When we came downstairs Morgan had set up two warmed up cans of beans for me and Rick. Silence had been our company sometime before Rick spoke up finally breaking it. "**You shot a man today**" He said calmly, I went to explain to Rick what exactly Morgan had shot but Morgan beat me to it. "**Man?**" Morgan asked confused. "**It weren't no man**" Duane said, his tone showing he clearly thought Rick was stupid. "**What was that out your mouth just now?**" Morgan snapped at Duane, causing Duane to apologize and look back at Rick. "**It wasn't a man**" he corrected himself. "**You shot him in the street out front, a man**" Rick explained, confusion laced thick in his tone as he shot up from his seat. "**Friend, you need glasses. It was a walker, now sit down before you fall down**" Morgan suggested while eating his food. Silence fell upon us once more before Morgan spoke up this time. "**Hey mister, you even know what's going on?**" He asked. "**I woke up...in the hospital today, came home and that's all I know**" Rick explained fiddling with his food. My heart sank; I knew why he was so upset. He was worried for Lori and Carl.

"**But you know about the dead people right?**" Morgan pushed further. "**Yeah, I saw a lot of that... up in the loading dock, piling trucks**" "**No, not the ones they put down, the ones they didn't. The walkers... like the one today, would've ripped into you, tried to eat you, take his own flesh at least. I guess this is the first you're hearing. I know how it must sound. Listen, one thing I **_**do**_** know: don't you get bit. I saw your bandage and that's one thing Duane and I were afraid of. Bites kill you. The fever burns you out. But then after awhile, you come back**" Morgan finished, his tone serious and firm, his facial expression eerie to the core. "**Seen it happen**" Duane added and I knew both of them were right, so I just listened, even though Morgan's stare had been fixated on me most of the night, I had a feeling he didn't like a bunch of soldiers passed out in his 'safe house' living room.

I couldn't blame him but, it still offended us. I left the table from all the discomfort Morgan was piling on me and walked over to my crew who were all eating. I plopped my butt on the couch beside Akio since that was the only room left and a big dust cloud exploded up as soon as my butt hit the cushion causing Akio to cough and my squad to laugh in unison, but we were stopped shortly when a car alarm sounded. Everyone was startled and I set my plate down as Morgan ordered Rick and Duane to turn off the lanterns. Rick stumbled over to the window and gently pulled a small flap of fabric down, Morgan joined him as did Duane. They stared out there for awhile mumbling things to each other when a gasp escaped Duane's mouth and Morgan ordered him to move but he stood frozen so I hoisted the kid up and buried his face into my Kevlar vested shoulder in an attempt to muffle out the sounds of his cries so as not to alert the walkers.

Morgan pulled an orangey crimson pillow off the couch and handed it to me, I cocked an eyebrow in confusion and he told me to give it to Duane to cry into. I hugged Duane tightly as he cried into the pillow and I stroked his back gently. Akio and Dallas watched over the back of the couch along with Ben. I heard foot-steps reach the front porch and Duane was still crying so I pulled the pillow away and sat Duane up. "**Duane, I need you to be a strong boy for me ok? You know what I do when I'm scared? I count to ten and make a funny face at my friends, so go ahead buddy, count to ten for me and I want to see the funniest face you can think of**" I whispered so quiet only Duane could hear and he nodded to me before shutting his eyes tightly and mouthed the numbers. I saw Rick move to the door and stare outside through the peep hole for a few minutes and I heard the door knob jiggle, Rick came back and Morgan started talking to him. I removed a hand from Duane and gently put my hand on Morgan's mouth before jerking my head in the direction of the door knob which was now moving and he looked and me in acknowledgement. Duane's eyes opened and he stuck his tongue out like an orca's and crossed his eyes and I chuckled under my breath. Soon the jiggling stopped and we all breathed a sigh of relief and fell asleep where we all were.

I woke up to a properly clothed Rick jostling me slightly. I opened my eyes and sunlight flooded in, so I blinked quickly and soon adjusted to the sudden amount of light before standing up and stretching. Rick looked at me and smiled as I yawned. "**Anymore out there?**" I asked as we walked to the front door. Morgan handed Rick a baseball bat and a visor with a head strap before him, Duane, and Rick stepped outside. A walker had been sitting at the edge of the front lawn, back leaning against a white picket fence before it heard me and my squad mates plus Ben walk out with Duane, Rick, and Morgan. That's when it slowly rose to its feet and came towards us; hungry arms outstretched to its prey before Rick swung his bat and made the bat connect with the walkers head. He smashed the walkers head several times before it died on the lawn. Rick went back in and came out with keys and told us to head to the station to pick up more supplies. Just as I went to join my crew in the Hummer Rick grabbed my forearm. "**They said Atlanta was a safe point, so Morgan and I are going to grab more guns and ammo, and he's going to stay out here and teach Duane how to shoot and get reacquainted with a gun himself for a few days before he joins me, I need you to see if you can scrounge up any food rations from any bases that are still good around here while I head out to Atlanta...I wanna find Carl, Lori, and Shane if I can so you and I will keep contact via cell phone and let me know when you have enough food for at least a week**" He said all the while trying to give me a confident smile.

"**Rick, I aint leaving you again, no ifs ands or buts I thought I lost you once before, I don't want to go through that again, besides I gave you some guns and ammo**" I argued, fighting back tears. "**I know, and I thought I lost you too but we'll keep in touch, we'll text each other every stop we make, every time we leave that stop, and text each other important things like what areas have the most infected or what places still have gasoline, etc, and we need more guns and ammo just in case**" He pushed further and I shook my head violently before pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger in frustration. "**Rick please don't do this to me**" I begged looking up at him through watering eyes and a pleading look, he shook his head and chuckled slightly before pulling me into a tight hug and rubbing my back. "**Rabbit, I have my cell phone, you have yours, and we'll call each other all the time I promise**" He cooed softly before rubbing my head. We parted and I sighed giving in to his suggestions and gave him a solemn ok before walking back to my group, hanging my head in sadness like a hurt puppy as I got into the Hummer. "**Love you baby sister**" Rick bellowed out as he hopped into his cruiser as Morgan and his son hopped into their white delivery van. "**Love you too big brother**" I shouted back with a flimsy wave and then my squad and I plus Ben took off first towards the nearest base where we first got our orders, while Rick and Morgan headed to the station.

The whole drive to the base I kept my eyes on the road for walkers to shoot but it looked like all of them had pretty much cleared off into another direction. Dallas finally spoke up after awhile. "**Hey Cap, you gunna be ok?**"He asked sincerely as he placed a hand on my right shoulder and peeked around from behind my seat. I stopped resting my chin in the palm of my hand and turned my head to him with a small smile. "**Yeah, thanks Dallas I'll be ok**" I answered back; Akio did something uncharacteristic of him and rubbed my head furiously followed by Dallas and Ben causing me to laugh. Akio smiled triumphantly as did Ben and Dallas before plopping back into their seats and Ben went back to focusing on the road immediately. "**So how long do you think it'll take before finding these rations?**" Ben asked curiously glancing over at me momentarily before returning his eyes to the horizon. "**I dunno, but I hope soon**" I replied going back to staring aimlessly out the window and resting my chin in the palm of my hand, elbow resting on the door as I wondered how Rick was doing and if he'd left the station yet.

A few days had gone by and we had nearly enough rations to last us a few months, I was excited, I couldn't wait to be with Rick again and help him find Lori, Carl, and Shane. As promised over those few days Rick and I kept in touch, calling each other, reporting hot spots to hit later once we found his family and our friend. However Day 3 I felt something tug at me and Ben agreed to head to Atlanta, it helped that we were in a neighbouring city not too far from it. We were just coming into Atlanta and I texted Rick, his response made my heart break. – **I'm sorry Peyton, I love you little sister**—then two gunshots rang out in the air and Ben broke the speed limit to get to the scene of a tank surrounded by a horde of zombies.

*Woo all done episode one, I'll be watching the second episode tomorrow when I get the chance and I'll start on episode 2 right after I watch it when I get the chance Hope you guys are enjoying it!*

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	4. Guts Part I

*Woo! Sorry it took me so long to write this! I have been _crazy_ busy with Crossfit, Bootcamp, and instructing my 5k clinic! I find this one wasn't as good as my other 3 chapters but I honestly tried, I'll be pumping out the other parts of this episode tonight (i.e. Parts II and III) Hope everyone enjoys it!*

Our group immediately opened fire. Akio went up through the top hatch and hopped on the .50 cal and began blasting away as well. Ben, myself, and Dallas all hung out the windows with our M-14's and continued to maintain fire on the walkers. Dallas tossed a grenade out, knowing full well that it might only amputate the undead rather than eliminate them entirely, but hell; I'm not complaining I'd rather face a cripple zombie than a normal one. Crippled walkers are much slower, and easier to kill, and I don't have to be in a rush to kill it nor do I have to empty a clip into its head too. A voice came over our radio, a male, Ben snatched our radio and answered it, the man explained that there was someone in that tank ahead of us and was in desperate need to get out. I tossed another grenade into the flesh hungry mob and with the first grenade blast killing nearly 30% of the undead bastards surrounding the tank mine helped push it up to 60%. With the death count of the walkers being at 60% cleared I climbed out of our HMMWV, followed by Ben and Dallas and advanced slowly still firing wildly at the horde that was left.

Finally we made it to the tank and cleared enough of the walkers away that it was manageable to retrieve the person from the tank. "**Whoever is in the tank, my name is Captain Peyton Tacoma and my squad and I are here to help!**" I shouted as I banged on the side of the tank. I heard the man open the top hatch and what I saw next floored me more than the first time, it was Rick scared and relieved all at once. I helped him down from the tank and we embraced. "**Rick, from this point forward you will NOT leave me or my squad, and that's an order**" I breathed out, as I buried my face in his shoulders fighting back the tears of relief and joy. Our joyous moment was short lived however when a chorus of moans erupted into the air, we shot our heads up and a larger horde emerged from around the corner. "**Should've known we'd attract more attention than we killed**" I murmured angrily before ushering Rick and my squad in the direction of the HMMWV, an Asian male popped his head out from an alley way and motioned for us to follow him but with the mob of angry undead I was sure we wouldn't all be able to make it to his hideaway. So once I saw them follow the Asian man I shouldered my gun while sprinting toward the HMMWV and hopping in. I honked the horn and all of the undead turned their attention to me and I revved the engine shouting at them, taunting them, and my desired result came to fruition when they advanced on me.

I threw the car into reverse and slammed my foot on the gas pedal and flicked the radio on, one of my favourite songs, Under & Over It by Five Finger Death Punch came on, I forgot that my iPod was still plugged in. I left the radio on to keep the walkers interested, some ran, some walked, and some crawled. I then switched back into drive and sped at top speed, ploughing through the hungry buggers, I repeated the act of reversing to squish the ones I missed, then went back into drive to kill the last zombies before I realized something vital...I was out of gas. I cursed aloud and grabbed the duffle bags of supplies and bailed on the hummer, sprinted to the empty alley where I saw Rick and the Asian guy bolt down, and leaped onto the yellow ladder after shouldering my duffle bags. When I reached the roof tops I jogged across, whispered for Rick and when no reply came I stopped running and let my shoulders slump as I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. I walked forward a few more steps before I was snatched by a pair of muscular arms, I thrashed about to get out of the grip of what I thought was a walker and elbowed it but it caught my elbow and turned me around to face it, and it was Ben. I visibly relaxed and he let me go and took me to the hatch where Rick and the Asian whose name I learned was Glenn went through along with Dallas and Akio.

We went down the hatch ladder and travelled through a few hallways before running down some staircases until finally we came out to another alleyway that was walker free, for the time being, minus two dead ones that lay beaten on the asphalt. We jogged across and went through a pale blue door and shut it behind us, when we came in we were greeted by a scene of a blonde haired woman pointing a gun at Rick. I grabbed her hand and pushed the barrel of the gun up to the ceiling and back so that it pushed her hand backward at an uncomfortable angle and seized the gun from her. "**They're going to get us killed!**" She screeched and I placed myself between Rick and the angry woman, pointing my index finger at her. "**Not us, it'll be you if you don't get your shit together, what? Did you think firing that gun you **_**had**_** wouldn't attract more of them? Newsflash sweetness that gun does NOT have a silencer**" I spat back emphasizing the word had to prove my point that I held power. "**So I'll give you benefit of the doubt, maybe you're just having a temporary meltdown, but your gunshot would have alerted them, and we would be worse off than myself, my squad and Rick firing our guns out there, it's in these times that we have to stand strong, mentally and physically**" I continued letting out a puff of frustrated air.

She nodded slowly before backing further away from us. I turned to Rick and he glared at me. "**You tell me not to ditch you, then you pull a stunt like that?**" He growled angrily, folding his arms in disapproval. "**It was that, or risk having you get bit, or eaten along with the guy who saved us and my squad, I'm the Captain, I make the decisions the hard ones that will keep everyone alive**" I defended myself, Ben nodded in agreement. "**Oh c'mon Peyton! Really? You expect me to accept that bullshit excuse? No, we're in the middle of a walker apocalypse and you think you're still a part of the military? Newsflash Peyton but your rank doesn't mean squat around here anymore, no more than my status as a sheriff counts**" Rick snapped back, I flinched a bit from his words before snapping back to my cool tough exterior. "**Say what you will Rick, be mad at me if you want, ignore me if you must, but there's something to be said for all of us still being here...**_**alive**_" I shot back and jabbed my finger in his chest. "**You may be my brother, my only family left, but no matter what we're going through I **_**refuse**_** to be treated like this, it's my expertise that made me a Captain, and it's my leader expertise that will help all of us through this**" I continued, my expression and tone softening before letting my hand fall to my side. Rick calmed down and we all stood around, Andrea kept muttering 'We're dead' over and over. "**We're dead, all of us because of you guys**" She breathed out frantically. Rick, Ben, and I all wore confused expressions but Rick was first to express our confusion when he said "**I don't understand**".

"**Look, we came into the city to scavenge supplies; you know what the key to scavenging is? Surviving. You know what the key to surviving is? Sneaking in and out****...tiptoeing and not shooting up the streets like it's the O.K. Corral**" the Hispanic man who's name I learned was Morales, or at least that was his nickname had said as he ushered us to this retail clothing store where walkers were pounding on the outer set of glass doors. "**Every geek for miles around heard you popping off rounds**" T-dog spat at. I didn't say a word as I tried not to giggle at that saying, I'm not racist, but that's just so stereotypical black person, that it was funny. "**You just rang the dinner bell**" Andrea breathed out in frustration mixed with worry, the way she stood looked like she was ready to fight the undead then and there, and that's a good attitude to have. "**Get the picture now?**" Morales continued, Rick only stared at the doors in horror. We saw a walker pick up a piece of what looked like cement and begin banging on the door with it, where spider cracks already lay from the constant abuse from the undead and backed away a bit. My flinch was out of fear, if this was the level of intelligence they held...I didn't want to think about it. "**Oh god. What the hell were you doing out there anyway?**" Andrea piped up turning her head to face Rick. "**Trying to flag the helicopter**" He explained. "**Helicopter? Man' that's crap! Aint no damn helicopter**" T-dog spat at Rick, looking at him like he was delusional. The skinny black woman spoke next. "**You were chasing a hallucination, imagining things, it happens**" She insisted. "**I saw it**" Rick growled and I placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"**Hey T-dog try that CB, can you contact the others?**" Morales asked, and T-dog fiddled with the CB for a second before looking up "**Others? The refugee center?**" Rick asked "**Yeah, the refugee center, they got biscuits waiting in the oven for us**" Jacqui shot at him sarcastically. "**Got no signal. Maybe the roof**" T-dog answered then a gun shot rang out and everyone froze. "**Oh no, is that Dixon?**" She asked with a fearful tone everyone looked up momentarily. "**What is that maniac doing?**" Morales snapped angrily and I sighed with frustration and looked at them with a deadpanned expression. "**Here's an idea, let's go upstairs and make him stop, rather than you know just standing around here looking up**" I suggested with sarcasm dripping from my tone, everyone glared at me before they bolted off to the staircases that led us upstairs. I passed everyone else, taking it 2 steps at a time and launching myself forward to make myself faster, when I reached the roof a tall burly man with a sniper rifle was firing shots. "**Hey Dixon are you crazy?**" Morales shouted, and the man with the gun turned around and laughed "**Oh geez**" Andrea whispered. This guy was an older fellow but certainly aged nicely, he had a nice square jaw line and a matching chin with a messy crew cut and piercing blue eyes with a nicely built body. "**Hey! Y'all be more polite to a man with a gun! Huh? Ah! Only common sense**" He bellowed, and his eyes landed on mine as he strode over to us, barrel of the gun pointing to the sky. "**Looky here, if it aint that soldier that received the medal for getting injured in the war but saving her squads lives, no one died that day did they? Hooey! You sure look more Purdy in real life there sunshine, I'm real glad we got you on our side**" He said with a suave southern drawl and proffered a hand to shake. He gave me a wink and I laughed a bit before shaking his hand. "**Yes that's me, you're quite the charmer aren't you Mr. Dixon? And no matter how crazy you are, you've got one helluva shot, glad to have **_**you**_** aboard**" I answered flashing him a flirtatious grin and a wink. "**Name's Merle**" He spoke up and I answered with my name, he seemed to take a liking to it.

A chorus of disgusted groans erupted from the others and T-dog stormed over to us and pushed me out of the way. I let out an agitated hey and Akio came running and caught me just in time before I could fall on my keaster. "**Man you waistin' bullets we aint even got! And you're bringing even more of them down on our asses**" T-dog exclaimed with fury. "**You almost knocked over Peyton! And bad enough I've got this taco-bender on my ass all day. Now I'm gunna take orders from you? I don't think so, bro. That'll be the day**" He snapped and I muttered an uh-oh before wiggling from Akio's grip and walking back to the two. "**'**_**That'll be the day'**_**? You got somethin' you want to tell me?**" T-dog stepped forward ready for a fight and I quickened my pace, and Morales told T-dog to leave it, but I knew it wouldn't end there. "**No**" T-dog replied sharply. "**All right? It aint worth it. Now Merle, just relax, okay? We've got enough trouble**" Morales turned to Merle in an attempt to reach him, but in the few seconds I'd known Merle, he seemed more stubborn than a mule stuck in the mud so I continued to Merle and T-dog's space fighting the hands that tried to grab a hold of me and stop me from interfering.

"**You want to know the day?**"Merle snarled '_oh boy, here it comes_' I thought to myself and ripped myself from Ben's grip when he reached out. "**Yeah**" T-dog answered simply, but with that same daring undertone. "**Merle...**"I warned him and was ridding myself from Jacqui's desperate grip. "**You don't have to play hero all the time**" She whispered I stood stunned for a moment before shooting her a look of disgust and disbelief. "**I'll tell you the day, 'Mr. Yo'. It's the day I take orders from a nigger**" He said and I bolted to push Merle away. "**Mother...**" T-dog began and when I got there T-dog slugged me in the face, purely accidental much like the Shane incident a month or so back. "**I am **_**really**_** sick and tired of that happening**" I grumbled rubbing my cheek and Merle gently pushed me out of the way and punched T-dog in the face. Akio picked me up and hoisted me over his shoulder and walked away from the scene. "**Lieutenant Akio Katsuo, put me down this instance, he hit like a girl I'm fine**" I yelled banging my fists on his back. Merle and T-dog were still fighting, if you could call it that, Merle was kicking T-dog's ass and pounding his face in. "**Hey, come on, Merle. That's enough!**" Morales shouted, followed by Andrea yelling "**C'mon Dixon**" and then it went back to Morales "**Whoa! cut it out man!**" it was like ping pong yelling at Merle with Andrea and Morales. "**Stop it! Dixon , get off him! Dixon, you're going to hurt him**" I let out a 'pfft' at her, who was she kidding? _Going_ to hurt him? Ha! I was surprised T-dogs face wasn't ground up burger by now.

"**Merle cut it out!**" Morales bellowed out one last time and Merle whipped out a pistol. "**Merle please stop!**"I belted out and I saw his jaw work in aggravation before looking up at me in apology then the others one by one before standing up, Akio set me down when he saw that the fight had ended and I walked over to Rick and the crew. "**Yeah! All right! We're gonna have ourselves a little powwow, huh? Talk about who's in charge. I vote me. Anybody else? Huh? Democracy time, y'all. Show of hands, huh? All in favour? Huh? Come on. Let's see 'em. Oh, come on. All in favour? Yeah. That's good. Now that means I'm the boss, right? Yeah. Anybody else? Hmmm? Anybody?**" Merle challenged. "**Yeah**" Rick spoke up raising a pipe to Merle but I grabbed the pipe from his hand. "**Hey! Don't go protecting your boyfriend, he deserved what was coming to him**" Rick screamed. "**Stop being an asshole Rick! You know he isn't my boyfriend! And another thing, yeah, so Merle is a racist asshole, does that mean he deserves to die? No! I admit he got a little out of hand but we all have to learn to keep together and put differences aside**" I barked at him before setting my sights on Merle. "**And you! Quit being such a racist **_**twat**_** and keep your mouth shut or I won't be able to save your stupid ass from these guys**" I roared, and when my mini storm blew over everyone just looked at me with their jaws open. "**What?**" I grumbled with frustrated.

"**Nothing, nothing**" they all murmured going to their nervous states. I breathed out long and hard. Rick nodded to Akio and when I turned my head back to Akio I felt the pipe get removed from my hand and I heard a loud thud, upon snapping my head back to Rick I had seen that he had clubbed Merle in the head with a pipe and hand-cuff him to a large water pipe. I slugged Rick and he fell back on his butt stunned with what I had done, and placed a hand on the cheek I had punched. "**Pull yourself together Rick!** **This is **_**no**_** time to be bashing people in the heads with pipes unless they are INFECTED, we're gunna need every possible uninfected man and or woman out there, and no matter how much you'd hate to admit it, Merle here has a damn good shot, a near perfect marksman! I've had to serve with plenty of assholes in my time as soldier, one's even worse than Mr. Dixon here, so everyone here is going to learn to pull together whether they like it or not, and Merle **_**will**_** learn to keep his racist mouth shut, now if I have to repeat this a third time to ANYONE so help me god I will beat the living SHIT outta you**" I snarled.

Rick stood up slowly and I made a motion to make him hand me the key and so he unlocked Merle who jumped up to his feet. I stormed off away from them, needing a minute away from their stupidity, little did I know I was being followed. I went just on the other side of a tall, wide air vent and was soon joined by Akio whose face held a look of concern. "**Lieutenant**" I said flatly as I folded my arms, crossed my legs and let my jaw clench as I stared straight ahead. "**Wanna talk about it Cap?**" He asked leaning on the vent beside me. "**Nah, you saw it, you don't need me to repeat it, thanks anyway though**" I answered still staring ahead, he turned to me and nudged me so that I looked at him. "**Look, I know why you're frustrated, the man you love is being a total prick and going off the deep end**" He piped up, settling his eyes on mine. My face kept twitching as I attempted to hold in my laugh but soon my face gave way and so did my laugh. I belted out a loud laugh and doubled over holding my sides. Akio stared at me in confusion and I stood up to wipe the tears away. "**Oh man, Akio, he isn't my boyfriend or lover or whatever you had in mind, the man's my best friend and brother, figuratively speaking...I grew up with him, he's the only family I've got left**" When I stopped laughing my tone softened as I explained my relationship.

Akio smiled gently, part of the smile looked like it held relief, which surprised me as he had seemed like a bit of a hardass before, that was proven on more than one occasion. He turned his body to me and his dark brown eyes twinkled, as he leaned more toward my face. He stood up quickly and walked directly to my front and closed the gap between him and I, rather fast, matter of fact a little too fast if you ask me. Still, confused I stood there and soon enough our noses were touching, ok scratch my last comment, I wanted even that minute gap, GONE. He cupped my cheek with his right hand and placed his left hand on the vent. "**Cap, I'm glad that he's just family, I hope you make Merle that one day too, because I can't promise that I'll let anyone near you if you let me be your man**" He whispered huskily, my mouth ran dry and I swallowed hard. "**Lieutenant, may I remind you that this would be considered insubordination, and while yes I do realise that my rank may not mean anything to Rick, I'd like it to remain-**"I was cut off by him pressing his lips passionately on mine, I automatically returned it back, enjoying every bit of the kiss. We stood there, lost in the moment for just a bit before he pulled away slowly. "**For the record, I'd like to say that I've been wanting to do that since you first walked in the gym that day, and if you'd like to wait for awhile, I understand, you think we need to get a better handle on the apocalypse at hand before we can be at ease enough to start a relationship, that's fine, I'll wait**" He stated, dragging his thumb across the faint scar on my right cheek.

"**Glad you understand Akio**" I responded giving him a light peck on the lips. "**I will however be available for a kiss ANYTIME you like**" He said with a light chuckle, though he meant it he wanted to keep the mood light, no matter how brief the moment would be. He and I talked for a few minutes before I heard Merle and Rick arguing again, we ran back and I saw Merle handcuffed to the pipe again with Rick pointing a gun at Merle. "**Enough with the throwing of the testosterone around here! What are we 5 year olds with guns now? My goodness you're all retarded**" I bellowed, and Rick stood up and walked with Morales leaving Merle swearing and cussing tied to the pipe all over again. Everyone stayed to their friends mostly, I crouched in front of Merle, he grinned widely at me and I kept a straight stare. "**Hey sugar pie, would you be as so kind as to get the keys for me and release me please**" He cooed and I shook my head. "**What'd you do to get cuffed again Merle**" I asked fixating my emerald green eyes on his baby blues. "**I **_**may**_** have upset your cop friend a little bit**" Merle said coolly and I sighed with frustration before scooting closer. "**Listen up Merle, I want to release you, I do, but I can't have you spouting off shit that pisses everyone off, so do me a solid and shut up when I release you, if you fuck up again I'll kick you out of this group and deal with the Walkers on your own. I will NOT risk everyone else's lives for one idiot's... so which is gonna be?**" I ordered, still keeping my deadpan look.

His jaw worked and his baby blues looked down at his feet which he was fiddling. I put my hands on his legs to make him stop and he let out a quick frustrated sigh before looking back up at me. "**Fine**" He answered curtly. "**I promise to keep my mouth shut**" he grumbled with a pouting face, which made me smile. "**Good, now let me go see if I can get those keys**" I offered while pushing off of my knees to stand up. I strode casually over to Rick and Morales who both turned to look at me when I held out my hand. "**He promised to play nice, I warned him that if he pulls anything like he did earlier again that I'd leave him to fend for the walkers on his own**" I piped up cheerfully, Morales shook his head and Rick looked at me apologetically. I was sick of this flip flopping between everyone. "**Look, Miss Tacoma, as much as I'd like to, I can't give you those keys, he's too stubborn to change, he hasn't yet, what makes you think he will now?**" He questioned with his hands on his hips.

I laughed haughtily and grinned cockily. "**Well Mr. Morales for one thing someone who actually exudes confidence rather than passive aggression is ordering him around finally, and his life has been threatened, no man is stupid enough to risk his life, and once a soldier always a soldier I always say, Whether you all like it or not this is no pissing contest, Rick and I pull the most rank, we both have experience in leadership, not you, or anyone else here so I suggest you shove your pride up your ass and leave it to us**" I barked, but before either man could respond I heard Andrea say "**My god it's like Times Square down there**" The three of us jogged over to her and we saw at least 5 hordes worth of zombies down below. Morales turned to T-dog. "**How's that signal?**" He asked, feeling the pressure of being their temporary leader, he didn't have what it took so I knew he wasn't the main leader of the survival group; if he was it was some miracle they were still alive. No leader was supposed to shake under pressure, they're supposed to stand strong no matter the situation...all the more reason to make me leader of this little group.

"**Like Dixon's brain...weak**" T-dog answered and I smacked him upside the head. "**Stop making things harder than they need to be you asshat, I just got finished telling Merle off, do I **_**really**_** need to go after you too? Because correct me if I'm wrong you look like an adult to me, and if memory serves me right adults don't act like that...ever**" I scolded him, and T-dog just shot me a glare and I sent him one right back that made him look away. "**Keep trying**" Morales said ignoring my scolding. "**Why? There's nothing they can do. Not a damn thing**" Andrea chimed in. "**Then she's right. We're on our own. It's up to us to find a way out**" Rick agreed nodding his head, hands on his hips. "**Good luck with that. These streets aint safe in this part of town from what I hear. Aint that right sugar tits? Hey, honeybunch, what say you get me out of these cuffs, we go off somewhere and bump some uglies? Gonna die anyway**" Merle offered suggestively. I almost laughed at the 'bump some uglies' phrase that was a first for me. "**I'd rather-**" She started but was cut off by Merle "**Rug muncher, I figured as much**" I let out a laugh and quickly covered it with a cough. Everyone looked at me Andrea and Merle included, though his expression and Andrea's were far different from everyone else's. While everyone shot me a confused look, Merle sent me a flirtatious wink, which nearly sent me into a fit of giggles. It was just too funny, him calling her that, he may be a racist ass at times but, when it came down to it he was just as useful as everyone else. "**The streets aren't safe...that's an understatement**" Morales finally spoke. "**What about under the streets? The sewers?**" Rick suggested.

"**Oh man. Hey, Glenn, check the alley. You see any manhole covers?**" Morales asked, turning to Glenn, as a shimmer of hope shone in his eyes. Glenn took a quick look but snapped his head back to us and shook it. "**No, must be all in the street where the geeks are**" Glenn concluded throwing his arms up in frustration. Jacqui stepped forward and stopped, the funny thing I noticed is, aside from Merle being on the side still cuffed to the pipe we were all in a relative circle. "**Maybe not. Old building like this built in the 20's... Big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding down in the subbasements**" Jacqui explained. "**How do you know that?**" Glenn questioned curiously. "**Who cares? You rock Jacqui!**" I exclaimed, Jacqui smiled softly before continuing. "**It's my job...was. I worked in the city zoning office**" The group headed downstairs momentarily to go check for the drainage tunnels while I stayed on the roof manning Merle. "**So how long did you serve?**" I asked sitting across from him. "**What?**" He asked snapping back to reality. "**How long did you serve in the military?**" I asked again. "**What makes you think I ever served?**" He asked gruffly. "**Your aim, it's pretty impressive, I don't think you got that just from hunting**" I remarked with a shrug of my shoulders. "**Not at liberty to say sugar pie**" He retorted with a crooked grin. I shrugged my shoulders and crossed my feet. "**Fair enough**" I replied folding my arms across my chest. We played 20 questions with each other for awhile before only Dallas came back up to the roof. "**What's going on?**" I asked curiously as I tilted my head back to see Dallas better. "**Morales and Glenn are going through the tunnels to look for a way out**" He explained hurriedly, he looked down at me nervously. "**You okay kiddo?**" I asked tenderly. "**Yeah Cap, fine, just don't like being stuck up here like a cat in a tree branch with all them hungry walkers down there is all**" He admitted, placing his hands on his hips. I nodded slowly in agreement before looking back down at my hands in my lap.

"**Look they want us all down in that retail store again so, we should head down**" He said jerking his thumb in the direction of the door to the staircases. I nodded and stood up, dusted myself off and looked at Merle. "**I'll be coming back for you, I promise, hell or high water...or y'know walkers**" I said before Merle before giving him a quick hug. "**You better sugar!**" He answered with a small smile. Dallas and I jogged to the door, down the stairs and went down the same way we went up. Akio and Ben immediately greeted me and walked alongside me, flanking my sides. Andrea walked over to Rick while my squad and I talked amongst ourselves, but I still paid attention to their conversation.

"**Sorry for the gun in your face**" She began sheepishly. "**People do things when they're afraid**" Rick comforted her. "**Not that it was entirely unjustified, you **_**did **_**get us into this**" She continued and I snorted indignantly, pissed that she had the nerve to still blame shit on us. '_You can thank us for the extra ammo, supplies, and muscle any time now..._' I thought to myself as I folded my arms on my chest, some people are just so ungrateful. "**If I get us out, would that make up for it?**" He went on, leave it to Rick to feel guilty for doing something right. "**No, but it'd be a start**" She finished before she and Rick turned to look at the walker covered doors. "**Next time though, take the safety off. It won't shoot otherwise**" He suggested, now my emerald green orbs were fixated on Rick and Andrea fully. "**Oh**" She replied simply with a bashful smile. "**Is that your gun?**" He pushed on, putting his gun in his butt portion of his pants. "**Hey Rick, might not wanna put that there, gun can still fire and unless you're not too fond of your ass, I'd suggest you holster it **_**properly**_" I ordered and he looked embarrassed before he put it in his holster, he knew better but was probably so distracted he didn't realize what he was doing. "**Thanks Rabbit**" He said with a smile, Andrea turned to Rick. "**It was a gift, why?**" She questioned, a little more carefully this time. "**Little red dot means it's ready to fire**" He instructed before taking her gun and showing her what he was talking about, receiving little nods from her. "**You may get the occasion to use it**" He said handing it back to her, barrel facing our way and I ducked. "_**PLEASE**_** STOP POINTING A LOADED GUN AT ME**" I barked angrily, covering my head with my hands, my squad realized what I was yelling about and they moved out of the way too. "**Point the effing barrel to the ceiling WITHOUT aiming at one of us **_**please**_**" **I seethed still crouched.

"**Sorry! But thanks for the information, good to know**" Andrea said partially to me and partially to Rick completely mortified. I'll give her slack, she _clearly_ didn't know how to shoot a gun let alone handle it safely. She pointed the barrel to the ceiling and put the safety back on, I stood back up while Akio, Dallas, and Ben came back to my side. Andrea wandered around the store and I walked around handing a duffle bag to each of my squad members , Rick and Andrea included, the latter cocking an eyebrow at me. "**Supplies, ammo, clothing, non-perishables, the works**" I explained with a half hearted smile. She nodded and went back to browsing as I turned on my heel and headed back over to my squad to leave Andrea alone, and Rick for that matter, I was still kinda mad at him for cuffing Merle and not listening to _me_, of all people, _me_. Andrea was staring at a mermaid necklace and another conversation, this time about her sister, ensued, it was a conversation I didn't care to listen to. "**There's a cop staring at me, plus 4 soldiers in the room**" I heard Andrea say, my ears perked and my head shot up to look at them. "**Would it be considered looting?**" She asked hoping that he'd say no. "**Don't think those rules apply anymore, do you?**" He answered her and she pocketed the mermaid necklace with a grateful smile. Andrea looked like she was about to say something when one walker with a concrete piece broke through the first set of doors and stormed to the next with his fellow undead mob trailing in right behind, eager to get to us all.

They banged on the next set and myself plus my squad and Rick advanced with our guns ready to fire when necessary, I ended up beside Rick and kept my eyes and M-14 trained on the walkers. "**When we get a chance to Rick, you and I need to talk**" I whispered to him and I received a curt nod. "**That we do Rabbit**" He answered simply, then Morales and Glenn came up behind us. "**What did you find down there?**" Rick asked Morales, both men kept their eyes on the horde that was ever so close to breaking through that second glass barrier. "**Not a way out**" Morales replied curtly. "**We need to find a way out, and soon**" Andrea stated still hiding behind us. "**So what are we all standing around here for?**" I asked with agitation clear in my tone. "**Let's head upstairs and see what we can do**" Ben suggested and we all nodded before running back up the stairs and onto the roof. I went over to Merle and T-dog and made sure they were ok, and when I had seen that they were ok I walked back over to the rest of the group. Rick had pulled out a pair of binoculars and was searching the streets. I stood quietly while Ben and Akio stood on either side of me, Dallas stood beside Glenn quietly observing everyone, along with myself.

"**That construction site, those trucks...They always keep keys on hand**" Rick stated finally breaking the nerve wrecking silence. "**You'll never make it past the walkers**" Morales stated plainly. "**You got me out of the tank**" Rick said turning to face Glenn, along with the others. "**Yeah, but they were feeding...they were distracted**" Glenn stammered nervously. "**Can we distract them again?**" Rick asked hopefully. "**Right. Listen to him. He's onto something. A diversion, like on Hogan's Heroes**" Merle piped up, my head snapped over to Merle's direction and I had a look of pure awe stuck on my face, and for once, I couldn't tell if he was serious, or mocking him. "**God. Give it a rest**" Jacqui spat angrily. "**They're drawn by sound right?**" Rick stated, clearly on a roll with an idea. "**Right, like dogs. They hear a sound, they come**" Glenn piped up. "**What else?**" Rick asked.


	5. Guts Part II

*Woo, onto Part II already! No rest for the wicked then, and onward we go!*

"**Walkers can also smell you**" I chimed in, and half the group shot me a dirty look, I just kept a cool, calm stare and ignored theirs. "**They can tell us by smell?**" Rick asked me in awe. "**Can't you?**" Glenn asked matter-of-factly. Glenn had a point; yeah most of us smelled like un-showered ass but that didn't compare to the sickening smell of rotting corpse. "**They smell dead, we don't, it's pretty distinct**" Andrea said pointedly. "**Let's head downstairs then, I have an idea**" Rick said confidently. I stepped forwards towards Rick. "**Give me the cuff keys please Rick**" I said and held out my hand, he looked down at it momentarily before looking at something behind me. "**No, Rabbit, I can't do that just yet**" Rick said puffing his chest out, standing up to me, and I narrowed my eyes at him and set my jaw in the way that for anyone who knew me, knew I was pissed. "**Rick, give me the keys**" I pushed stepping closer to him. "**No means no Rabbit**" Rick said in a low warning tone to me before nodding his head upward curtly to someone behind me. "**Rick, GIVE ME THE DAMN CUFF KEY**" I bellowed and before I knew it was snatched by my arms by Ben and Akio. I wriggled and squirmed violently and despite the fact that I had two buff males holding onto me and dragging me away I still threw my weight around trying to escape.

"**Damnit, Lieutenant Katsuo LET ME GO, YOU TOO BEN**" I roared with fury. Both of them looked down at me sadly and I knew they weren't going to let me go. They dragged me downstairs with Rick and the group minus poor Merle and T-dog. Rick stopped in front of me momentarily once we got to the store again and turned to face me "**Peyton, I'm real sorry, we'll let him go I promise, but we have to get other stuff done first before we can **_**all**_** escape and I can't have him getting in the way of that**" Rick said putting a hand on my shoulder and I shrugged it off. "**Fuck you Rick! Fuck you **_**and **_**that talk we were going to have, I know where you stand with me now and quite frankly if this is how you run things, I don't want any part of you** **your friendship**" I snarled keeping my narrowed eyes on him, my jaw was now fully clenched. He flinched and held a solemn look but I was too pissed to feel remorse for what I had just said. Rick flinched and was taken aback for a moment before wearing a solemn look on his face. We continued into the retail store for the umpteenth time today and Rick began grabbing some rubber gloves and trench coats. I immediately realised what he was up to, I said nothing as Akio and Ben still held tightly onto me. Glenn looked like he was about to hyperventilate when he caught on. "**If bad ideas were an Olympic event this would take the gold**" Glenn piped up nervously. "**He's right. Just stop, okay? Take some time to think this through**" Morales pleaded with Rick, whom of which shot Morales a serious look. "**How much time? They already got through one set of doors, that glass won't hold forever**" He shot back at him, clearly angry with the amount of stupidity Morales was showing.

Rick walked over to me with a trench coat and a pair of green gloves. "**Here, your favourite colour**" He offered, it was his way of apologizing and I just looked away, as Akio and Ben let me go, Rick took my hand and led me away for a second. "**You may hate me right now, but let's save this fight for when we get to the other survivors, when we're far from the walkers**" Rick started and I scoffed. "**I'm going to help Rick, but not for you, I'm doing it to help you realise that I'm the better leader here **_**clearly**_**, you scream at Merle for **_**surviving by pulling together and not apart**_** but when I told you Merle was going to be co-operative you didn't listen, and you**_** know**_** I know when a person is being true to their word**" I spat in frustration. "**Ever since we met up with this merry band of tools, Glenn excluded, all you've done is turn against me, me, your own **_**family**_**! You think that's going to make me feel all warm and fuzzy over you still? No. You and I both know **_**I**_** have the leadership skills for crying out loud I'm a **_**CAPTAIN**_**, surviving one of the many things I'm trained in and one of the many things I happen to be good at, if you want to listen to these idiots be my guest but I refuse, you want me to forgive you, I want you to un-cuff Merle, simple as that**" I continued, by now everyone was staring at us.

"**Can your lover's quarrel wait? We got work to do**" Morales said in agitation, my eyes narrowed once more and a low growl emitted from me before I stormed over to him and puffed my chest out like a proud little pigeon. "**Oh shut the fuck up you dumbass! Seconds ago you were all like 'take some time to think' and NOW you want to hurry, man you're fucking retarded**" I continued, berating him and making him shrink a bit. "**I'd like to state for the record here, that I am **_**not**_** Rick's lover, I'm his family, so y'all can just get that little thought out of your heads**" I exclaimed throwing my arms up in the air before snatching the gloves and trench coat from Rick and stalking off to a corner of the room that wasn't inhabited by anyone. I had just started to button up my trench coat when Glenn suddenly appeared in front of my vision.

"**For what it's worth, I think you're a good leader, and I vote for you**" He said shyly, his demeanour and comment made me smile; I relaxed both visibly and on the inside. "**Thanks Glenn that means a lot to me**" I admitted still maintaining my smile, and he smiled back before giving me a quick nod. After getting my trench coat all done up and putting on the green rubber gloves Akio tossed me a bat and we all went back into the room where I first saw Andrea put a gun in Rick's face and Akio and I went over to the door, Rick stopped me. "**Hold up Aki**" I said and Akio stopped, smiling at his new nickname. "**What are you doing? I'm going out there with Morales, stay in here**" Rick begged and I just chuckled a bit. "**Rick, I'm a trained soldier remember? I can handle myself**" I said before turning sharply on my heel and heading out the door with Akio. Glenn and Jacqui stayed by the door as we grabbed the corpse of one of the walkers and dragged it back into the room before the two slow walkers that were in the alleyway could get us. Glenn slammed the door shut and locked while Akio and I laid the corpse down on its back on the floor. Akio and I stepped back and everyone circled the body while Rick grabbed a fire axe from the glass case that was mounted against the wall behind Jacqui, I was thankful no alarm went off. Rick joined the circle and raised the axe to cut the corpse but hesitated before searching the walker and pulling out a wallet. "**Wayne Dunlap, Georgia license, born in 1979, he had $28 in his pocket when he died... and a picture of a pretty girl '**_**With love from Rachel**_**', he used to be like us, worrying about the bills or rent or the Superbowl. If I ever find my family I'm going to tell them about Wayne...**" Rick trailed off; I knew why he was doing this.

"**One more thing...he was an organ donor**" Glenn spoke up and I chuckled a bit at Glenn's dark humour. Rick hesitated a moment before hacking away at the corpse, everyone flinched except for myself, Ben and Akio. Everyone groaned about God, or wanting to puke aside from Rick who was too busy chopping. Rick handed his visor helmet to Morales after a few more hacks to the limbs. "**I'm so gunna hurl**" Glenn stated bending over. "**Later**" Rick ordered stepping back. Morales took it and started hacking immediately, Rick was sweating and was paler than Casper the friendly ghost I could tell that as his time as a small town sheriff he'd probably never really seen too many dead bodies enough to get used to them. After Morales finished with his chops he set the visor down on a nearby table. "**Everybody got gloves? Don't get any on your skin or in your eyes**" Rick advised, at that point everyone crouched down and scooped up blood and guts, and smeared it on Rick and Glenn being careful to not get any on his skin or in his eyes. "**Oh god! Oh geez. This is bad. This is really bad**" Glenn moaned in repulsion as I smeared on some guts across his chest, even I had to admit the smell was getting to me a bit, nothing was worse than a rotting corpse that fed on other corpses.

"**Think about something else...puppies and kittens**" Rick said "**Dead puppies and kittens**" T-dog added grimly and that made even _my_ head pop up and look at him like he was mentally disturbed, Glenn turned away from me and puked. "**That is just evil. What is wrong with you?**" Andrea chided him, her face wrinkled up in distaste, I nodded in agreement with her before grabbing a clean rag from the med kit on the wall and turned Glenn toward me and wiped his mouth clean of the puke. "**Thanks**" He said bashfully and I just smiled. "**No worries, I don't imagine anyone likes puke on 'em**" I joked and Glenn looked at me like '_are you kidding me? That's the least of my worries_' and motioned to the blood and guts on his trench coat. "**Next time let the cracker beat his ass**" Jacqui added, popping her head up by Rick's shoulder. "**I'm sorry yo**" T-dog apologised before grabbing more guts and putting them on Rick. "**You suck**" Glenn growled at him before I put on the last slab of guts across his butt.

"**Do we smell like them?**" Rick asked as everyone stopped smearing guts on Glenn and Rick. "**Oh yeah**" Andrea exclaimed before handing Glenn a gun. "**Glenn, just in case...**" She continued before putting the gun down the front of his pants. I swatted her hand away and pulled the gun back out and put it in between the belt and his pants. "**Put it in his pants, he risks shooting his penis off, and I'm sure he'd like to keep that wouldn't you Glenn?**" I scolded her before looking up to Glenn with a comforting smile. He nodded and laughed a bit and straightened himself up. "**If we make it back, be ready**" Rick ordered and we all nodded our heads. "**What about Merle Dixon**" T-dog asked curiously, I was shocked he even mentioned him. Rick fished for the key in his pant pocket before tossing it to T-dog. I rolled my eyes and Rick looked over at me while I shook my head. **"What now Peyton**" Rick asked irritated. "**Nothing, nothing, just surprised you're giving **_**him**_** the keys and not me, though I'm not too surprised**" I growled low, folding my arms against my chest and looking away.

T-dog stepped away and I followed after him. "**You don't have to follow me y'know, I'll release him**" T-dog barked at me as we hit the first set of stairs, Ben followed suit. "**Yes I do, you see, you have motive to not release him and I'll be damned if I leave you alone with him to be fed to the walkers unnecessarily**" I snapped back. He turned to glare at me before continuing up the second stairs. "**I wouldn't do that**" He retorted. "**Oh yes you would, don't even feign for a second that you'd feel guilty for leaving Merle behind**" I growled furiously at him. "**I would feel guilty but you gotta agree the man's an ass!**" T-dog snarled and I shook my head. "**Merle is an ass with a gun and perfect fucking aim, when he insulted you, you coulda listened to Morales and shut the fuck up to stop the argument from going on, you should've ignored him, but you were to proud and stupid and stooped to his level, so I say you deserved to get your ass handed to you**" I said reaming him out, he was childish, plain and simple. "**Stop defending him 'cause you got the hots for him**" He mumbled, at a loss for a better comeback. "**I don't have the hots for him you useless troll, I stand on the side of survival and so should you, if I was defending him I wouldn't have berated him like a child for what he'd done, and now I'm berating you for being a child so shut the fuck up take it like a man, and from now on don't shit disturb**" I roared, this caused him to look back at me wide-eyed before going up the final staircase and running out the door to Merle.

"**Hey what's going on man?**" Merle shouted at us, as we booked it over the grates and onto Merle's side of the roof. "**Hey, T-dog, try that CB**" Morales ordered as he came up from the stairs with Jacqui, Dallas Akio, and Andrea, He looked at me momentarily as if asking if that was a good idea and I nodded before we all headed to the edge of the roof. "**Hey c'mon. Talk to me y'all**" Merle pleaded and I looked over at him. "**Rick is out there with Glenn trying to get our way out**" I explained quickly before looking back to the streets "**Base camp, this is T-dog. Anybody hear me? Can anybody out there here me?**" T-dog tried desperately but no answer came. "**There!**" Morales exclaimed pointing in the direction of where he was looking at with the binoculars. Morales handed me the binoculars and I saw both Rick and Glenn shuffling slowly like a walker down the street. "**I've got a visual**" I said plainly still keeping a close eye on the pair. "**That asshole is out on the street with the handcuff keys?**" Merle whined angrily. T-dog wiggled the keys in the air tauntingly Merle said nothing and just glared at T-dog as thunder continued to rumble. "**Oh no**" I muttered lowering the binoculars before tilting my head to look at the sky, the clouds were dark charcoal grey and the thunder was rumbling in the air threatening us with rain.

I handed the binoculars back to Morales and walked away to the corner furthest away from Morales and the group, Dallas followed me and leaned on the edge of the roof beside me. "**What's the matter Cap?**" Dallas asked looking over at me. "**I couldn't watch anymore, if that rain falls...it'll...It'll wash away the walker smell from their coats and the walkers will be on 'em in less than a second**" I explained solemnly while twiddling my thumbs. "**Look, I know Rick will make it, this I promise you and we'll all get out of here safely**" He cooed softly, before hugging me and rubbing my back. It felt weird yet oddly comforting what Dallas was doing, here he was, a 20 year old boy hugging and comforting his Captain, soon I felt two other pairs of arms around me and when I looked up I saw Akio and Ben smiling down at me, we all embraced each other and I felt better. For once I didn't have to be their Captain, for once I didn't have to put emotions aside or excuse myself so that I could feel, I could finally be open about my emotions and I had one helluva team to help me through it. These guys were, are, and always will be, my family, nothing less.

Our happy moment was abruptly ended when I heard Morales say '**Oh man**' and I pushed passed my men and darted over to Morales. "**What? What is '**_**Oh man**_**'?**" I demanded as my group finally came up behind me, Morales turned to look at me. "**It's just a cloud burst. We get 'em all the time. It'll pass real quick**" He stammered trying to reassure not only me, but himself and the others as well, so I pulled him aside from everyone else by his elbow. "**Tell me the truth now Morales, the smell of the walkers will wash away quickly won't it?**" I whispered harshly before letting his elbow go, everyone stared. "**I-I dunno Peyton, it's hard to tell, but I'm confident they'll make it**" Morales stuttered a bit over his words before rolling out the last part of his sentence out smoothly. I looked down and away for a moment and he seemed to study me with his eyes, probably wondering what I was about to do next when suddenly I heard a man cry out '**Run!**' and I knew instantly it was Rick I looked around frantically before finding a clean lead pipe, I rubbed it on my skin and then threw it like a football over the edge of the building near the walkers that chased Rick and Glenn.

That seemed to distract a few of the walkers and lessen the amount that was on their tail. "**Come on, come on come on**" Morales chanted frantically and I smacked his arm. "**Not. Helping Morales**" I growled at him before turning back to the scene before me. Rick and Glenn reached a large chain link fence and tossed their weapons on the other side before climbing up quickly and vaulting over the other side.

I saw Glenn looking for the keys while Rick pulled out Merle's gun and starts to shoot at more walkers, I saw Glenn toss Rick keys and they hopped into the truck and sped off before the walker horde that knocked the large fence over could reach them. "**They're leaving us**" Andrea panicked, nearly crying. "**No they're not!**" I barked angrily at her. "**What? What? What do you mean?**" Merle asked frantically squirming around. "**Where are they going? Where are they going?**" Morales was next to panic so I grabbed him by the biceps and looked him dead in the eye as rain dripped from my soaking wet hair. "**Listen to me Morales, get a hold of yourself, they're going to help us, and Rick wouldn't leave us, nor would Glenn you have to trust me**" I ordered calmly and he nodded slowly, and I walked over to Andrea. "**Andrea right? Relax girl, everything is going to be fine, we're all going to get out of here, they're not leaving us I promise you**" I said, honesty dripping in every word that came out of my mouth and she nodded slowly too. I went over to T-dog next and held out my hand, he reluctantly dropped it in my hand and I whirled around and jumped onto my knees so that. "**Don't you gotta buy me dinner first?**" He quipped and I giggled as I struggled to get the key in the hole because my hands were shaking with nerves. "**Relax sweetheart**" Merle cooed softly in my ear as he let his hand drop down to my butt. I ignored it being there as I finally got the key in and freed Merle, and just in time too as we heard a car alarm sound through the streets. I helped him to his feet and we all grabbed our bags and darted off to the staircase door, my hand never leaving Merle's.

We charged through the department store once more and ran down more hallways, I had no idea where we were in the building but we stopped right at a large loading dock door. "**Okay okay I got it**" Andrea exclaimed nervously. "**Shh**" Morales hushed everybody. "**What is that**" Andrea asked hope clear in her tone. "**Help**" I cheered as squealing tires and the roar of a large truck engine sounded came within less than an earshot. I knew Rick had come, about 30 seconds later 3 short bangs on the door hit our ears and we lifted it up. Everyone tossed the bags into the truck as fast as we could, hopped in, and Rick sped off before the horde of walkers that broke through the store doors could reach us, Morales slammed the door shut and we continued off at high speed down the road and onto the highway. "**Where's Glenn?**"Andrea asked, I laughed "**Probably enjoying himself in that 2009 Dodge Challenger**" I answered still laughing as I let my head plop against the truck wall. Everyone laughed whole heartedly, excited that we were away from that danger. "**Now how do you know that?**" Jacqui asked with a smile. "**Took Auto shop in school, and had a part-time job at the local garage while I went to high school**" I replied with a proud smirk. "**A woman after my own heart**" Merle joked and everyone continued to laugh.

*Ok so, there it is, episode two is done, I just hope you all enjoyed it. I couldn't leave Merle behind like they did in that episode, it literally tore my heart out. So I got Peyton to rescue him, woohoo! Possible Shane in the next episode? Let's hope so I've got lots of goodies for you, I promise!*


	6. Tell It To The Frogs Part I

I dug my iPod and ear buds out from my pants pocket and plugged the ear buds into the iPod before putting them in my ears and hitting play, the first song to come on was Home Sweet Home by Motley Crüe. I laid my head back on the wall of the delivery truck's trailer and cranked the volume up before zoning out completely...being careful to not fall asleep. I was shaken out of my day dream by Merle so I quickly ripped my ear buds out. "**We're here sugarpie**" He said with a smile before hopping out of the truck, I looked around and saw everyone but Rick had already left so I stood up and walked over to him placing my left hand on the top of his seat. "**What's wrong Rick-a-ma-role?**" I asked softly. "**It's just...I'm scared I'll never find Lori, or Carl, or _both_**" Rick said exasperated, so I let my hand slide onto his shoulder, he turned to me and I gave him a confident smile. "**Rick, I promise you'll find 'em, _both_ of 'em, hey who knows, maybe they're here, so what do you say? Shall we go out there?**" I said in attempt to cheer him up, I received a small smile which I knew was better than nothing...and all I was getting. So we hopped out of the truck, my boot lace got caught in the door which made Rick laugh because when I turned to see what had me stuck I smacked my face off of the van. "**Hee. Haw. Haw.**" I said flatly as I removed my lace from the door and jumped down. He shook his head and walked away, I was 5 seconds behind him nursing my sore forehead, and when I caught up to him I walked into him. I let out an 'oof' as I stumbled back a bit, and I was just about to tease him for standing like a deer in headlights when I looked up, I saw what had him in a daze, and quite frankly it put me in one too. There stood Shane Walsh, our best friend, mouth practically agape at _us_ and to the right of Shane a few paces were Lori and Carl.

"**Oh my god**" Rick let out before he walked over to them, Lori and Carl ran toward him, Carl screaming dad over and over with joy. I smiled before looking over at Shane who had just torn his eyes from Rick and his reunion to look over at me, I never thought I'd say this, but, I've never been happier to see him in my entire life! I let a grin break out and I charged over to him, he put his arms out and I jumped on him. When he caught me he spun around, I just buried my face in his shoulder and linked my arms around the back of his neck tightly. "**Oh my god Shane, you—you're alive!**" I belted out with an excited squeal as he shook me a bit before setting me down. "**Now it hurts me that you doubt I could live through this kinda thing**" He said chuckling, and I just looked at him with a mischievous grin before letting him go and we both turned to see Rick crying and hugging his sobbing wife and excited child. I looked over at Rick who smiled at Shane, but when I watched Shane give him a smile back, something didn't seem quite right. As I continued to watch what Shane was doing I saw him look longingly at Lori, and that's when it clicked in my head, something happened between them. I walked away from Shane and toward Rick and his family. "**Mind if I cut in, it'll only take a sec!**" I asked with a smile and Rick nodded before letting them go I hugged Lori first. "**Thank you for keeping him safe Rabbit; you really do live up to your name don't you?**" She asked still crying as she rubbed my back. "**Yeah, I guess so Lor, but someone had to take care of this big lug!**" I joked and that caused her and her son to laugh. Carl turned to me when Lori and I parted and I hesitated for a moment as he walked over to me, I even took a step back before picking him up gently and hugging him. It was still hard for me to do, and both Rick and Lori knew just why so when I saw them smile, I knew it was genuine happiness, not just for themselves, but for me.

I set Carl down after telling him how much I missed him and gushed over how big he'd gotten. "**Kids even got a mullet now huh? Lori, you may live in a country town but you aren't _that_ redneck**" I laughed wholeheartedly, and so did everyone else. After Rick and I were all introduced everyone went back to doing their daily routine, I stood there stiffer than a piece of 2x4 as everyone bustled around me. I felt awkward to be honest, I had no idea what to do, and not too many of the group members were happy to see soldiers in their camp; I guess they blamed us for the apocalypse...if only they knew. Glenn grabbed me to help him set up his tent so I did. "**Sorry about my friends Peyton, they're a great group really they are! It's just...they kinda well...**" Glenn stammered as we started putting pegs into the ground. "**They hate the military, understandable, however it wasn't us who started the infection, it was a stupid scientist**" I explained as we continued, he nodded thoughtfully. "**It's not just that though, I guess they feel that the 'quarantine' you guys pulled was kinda shitty**" He continued, it was my turn to nod as we connected the poles. "**There's that too I guess but, it was either that or let the walkers, as you guys call 'em, eat everyone and annihilate the world and our lives as we know it**" I said plainly as we finished putting the tent up. "**Well, I know that, and deep down, they know that, but it doesn't make it easier and everyone wants someone to blame, I think all you gotta do is prove them wrong, prove that the military isn't what they make it out to be, and that nor are you**" Glenn suggested and I stood up straight and nodded in agreement. "**Yeah, I suppose, trust isn't a right it's a privilege, even more so nowadays**" I muttered more to myself than anyone.

Glenn nodded in silent agreement as we started towards Shane to see what was needed of us. "**Anything else we can do Shane?**" Glenn asked placing his hands on his hips and looking up at the taller man. "**Uh, yeah actually two things, check the radio and see if you can fix it and I'll need whoever doesn't do that to help me get stuff for the fire tonight**" He offered shifting his stance so that he was leaning to his left as he folded his arms across his chest. Glenn nodded and looked from him to me. "**I'll fix the radio**" He said before trotting off.

"**Well, guess that leaves you stuck with me huh Sheriff?**" I asked jokingly and he smiled softly before grabbing two axes that were leaning against the RV and handing me one. "**Ready?**" He asked before trying to pull off a genuine smile, I just smiled back before twirling the axe in my hand once. "**More than**" I replied and we headed to the forest, I could see Lori watching us out of our peripherals and all I could do was smile in disbelief, still keeping my stare on the path ahead. As we got further into the forest my thoughts began to roam around Shane and Lori, _had _they done something? If they did how far did they go? Why did they do what they did? All these thoughts felt like a thousand tiny bugs gnawing away at my brain but all that was interrupted when I walked into something, I looked up and it was Shane. He looked down at me with sadness, a sadness I had never known him to show...minus that one night all those years ago, and when Rick was put in the hospital. "**Peyton, there's...there's something I gotta tell you**" He said before swallowing hard, I looked away before looking back to him. "**If it's about Lori, I know**" I let out before awkwardly shuffling to my right and continuing forward, wishing I hadn't just voiced my thoughts. "**I—wait what?**" He sputtered in bewilderment. "**Forget it**" I muttered as he jogged to my side. "**No, what were you gunna say?**" He demanded still flabbergasted, I pretended that I didn't hear him and trudged on. "**Peyton Rose Tacoma, don't you ignore me!**" He barked and I stopped dead in my tracks, fists balled. "**Alright Shane, you made your point**" I growled whirling around to meet his eyes with my fiery gaze. "**I think something happened between you two, when you looked at her today you looked forlorn, and you didn't look all that happy to see Rick was back...or me**" I huffed before storming off. "**I _did _miss you _both_ of you!**" He protested all I could do was keep my jaw clenched in an effort to end the conversation; I really hated the military given talent of reading body language right now.

"**Peyton, please! Conversations go two ways remember!**" He bellowed before grabbing my wrist and I dropped my axe and swung at him but he caught my fist. "**Fine! You want this damn conversation so bad? Alright! I think you two slept with each other!**" I snapped back at him, filled with rage as I tried to wriggle free. When I finished that sentence I knew I was right because his face flinched in recognition and my heart sank. "**How could you Rick? Not that she's any better but...Shane...Rick's your best friend!**" I continued my face clear with disgust. "**Don't you drag Lori into this!**" He barked at me and my eyes narrowed and my teeth bared at him. "**Don't you dare stand up for her Shane, she cheated on her husband that isn't right now matter how you spin it!**"I growled, wishing more than anything for the ability to punch him. He just stood there looking at me, more specifically, my eyes as if he were carefully deciding what to say next before his whole body relaxed. "**Look, what I meant was, she thought her husband was dead and so she moved on**" He defended, this time more softly but no matter how much I hated seeing his brown eyes melt like they did I remained strong. "**I still couldn't, I would refuse to believe that my husband was dead, not unless I saw it with my own eyes and I certainly wouldn't let the devil charm me into an affair**" I whispered harshly before ripping my wrists from his grasp and snatching my axe and storming off.

He soon caught up to me and we walked in silence. I could see him constantly looking over at me with my peripherals and I wanted to slug him even more, remember that moment I said I'd never been happier to see him in my life? Yeah that moment was gone. Shane was mine and Rick's best friend, we never gave up hope on finding him, so why did he on us? That question burned through my thoughts more than the others and my heart sank more, it was just like graduation night all over again, and that made my heart ache all the more. "**So you think I'm the devil huh?**" He asked as he looked at the ground, I looked over at him, scanning him and observing him before looking ahead again. "**Peyton _Rose_ Tacoma...**" He said with frustration and I huffed with annoyance. "**Would you cut it out with using my middle name? You know I hate it, and pestering me won't exactly get you on my good side**" I growled before picking up some twigs. "**Just answer me, a simple yes or no**" He requested and I sighed heavily before shaking my head. "**Yes, I do**" I answered curtly still scanning the area for more lumber. Out of the corner of my eye I could've sworn him look solemn and hurt, I was suddenly losing my need to stay strong in my beliefs towards him and Lori. "**I think we've found enough wood, and it's gettin' dark, we should head back**" Shane suggested and I looked up to the sky. "**Yeah, good idea**" I answered softly before following Shane back to the camp in silence, I guess I had been so absorbed in thought that I hadn't noticed the time.

When we got back to the camp Shane and I set up the camp fire, every now and again looking over at me like he wanted to say something but was biting his tongue. Once everyone finished with their duties and the sky grew dark enough everyone bundled themselves up and gathered around the campfire. I myself hung back for a second unlike my fellow soldiers whom I guess had already made friends and were laughing around the campfire. Merle looked up and when he saw me standing in the background he motioned for me to come over, so I did, and sat on his right. The older man Dale spoke up, asking Rick how he felt when he awoke to the apocalypse. "**Disoriented. I guess that comes closest. Disoriented. Fear, confusion...all those things but...Disoriented comes the closest**" He answered almost poetically, my heart sank but I was glad I had found him. "**Words can be meagre things, sometimes they fall short**" Dale piped up with his grandfatherly voice and smile as he set down his green coffee mug.

"**I felt like I'd been ripped out of my life and put somewhere else, for awhile I thought I was trapped in some coma dream, something I thought I might never wake up from. I'm glad Peyton and her squad found me, they gave me hope, saved me**" He continued, giving me a giant smile. At that point I felt guilt wash over me, I knew what his wife and Shane had done to him, and here I am, a sister to him, and I can't even bring myself to say it. I gave him a warm smile as did Ben and Akio who already responded with a 'no problem'. "**Rick, you're my brother, I love you so much...I couldn't stand the thought of losing you, I couldn't leave you behind**" I piped up and at the end of 'couldn't leave you behind' I shot Shane a glare and Lori one too, just to make her aware that I knew what happened, and she hung her head in shame, I was glad Rick and the group didn't seem to notice my glares or Lori's shame...except for Akio. "**Mom said you died**" Carl stated sadly as he looked up at his dad. "**She had every reason to believe it, don't you ever doubt it**" Rick said calmly as he rubbed Carl's arm affectionately with a small smile. I stood up abruptly and excused myself. "**Need to stretch my legs, knees are locking up on me**" I lied quickly before walking away pretending to stretch my legs out as I walked away towards the back of our delivery truck.

Akio had followed me and leaned against the back of the trailer with me. "**Just like Atlanta**" He muttered looking over at me with his brown eyes. "**Yeah**" I breathed out as I dug my hands in my pockets. "**You like Shane don't you?**" He asked looking up at the sky momentarily. "**No, I haven't harboured feelings for him like that since high school**" I answered gruffly. "**So then, what was your scowl towards Lori and Shane for?**"He continued, I sighed hoping to God that he'd change the subject but he said my name in a warning tone instead so I folded my arms and let my anger show through. "**Lori and Shane slept with each other, several times, and Shane has feelings for her...what bothers me about that is that Rick is Shane's best friend and he left him behind? I still searched for him, and I wasn't gunna stop until I confirmed he was dead or an undead, and if Lori was willing to do the same as Shane she's just as disgusting in my eyes**" I growled angrily. "**Yeah but, she said she thought he was dead...If you thought I was dead, wouldn't you move on? I mean if you and I were dating that is**" He tried to rationalize and I shook my head with anger. "**No! I wouldn't, not unless I saw you dead or zombified end of discussion** "I spat in disgust. Akio nodded his head in agreement. "**Well, that's pretty loyal, a good quality Peyton**" He said and before I knew it, he was standing in front of me with his hands on my face and crushing his lips onto mine.

He pressed his body right against mine so I unfolded my arms and wrapped them around him, letting my hands rest on his shoulder blades. After a few passionate kisses he dragged his tongue across my bottom lip begging for permission and I just looked up at him with a playful smirk, and he returned it with a mischievous one before shoving me further against the trailer, hard. He knew the way I liked it, but I wasn't about to cave so he lifted my legs and I instinctively wrapped them around his waist and moved my arms to wrap around the back of his neck. He bit my bottom lip then trailed kisses from my lips to my jaw line to my collarbone and I let out a small quiet moan and he took the opportunity to dart his tongue in my mouth and soon it was a fight for dominance, but we both ended up getting more and more sexually aggressive before he finally won and I let him take over, we were about to get more heated when we realized what we were doing and stopped. "**Sorry, can't help myself around you**" He joked as he rubbed the back of his head. I gave him a long passionate kiss. "**When there's less people around, we should try this again, and Akio? Thanks for cheering me up**" I said panting and he smiled. "**I'd like that...and anytime Peyton**" He stated simply with a wider smile and we hugged tightly for a moment. We walked off and Ben and the gang were putting out the fire and grabbing their things, getting ready to hit the hay. I saw Shane stalk off to the RV, so I followed to see what he was doing; he climbed up the ladder and onto the roof of the RV and sat down in a chair, trying to get his hat on perfect.

I climbed up as well and picked a sniper rifle up from the chair beside him before sitting down next to him. His eyes were fixated on Rick and Lori's tent, and my heart started to sink, he had feelings for Lori...and I figured that would happen, but for a reason other than I had stated to him before, it really bothered me which caused me to sigh aloud accidentally as the rain started to fall and the thunder rumbled. "**What now?**" Shane snapped and my face went to mild alarm before I put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked at me, the pain in his angry beautiful brown eyes melted me. "**Look, I'm sorry for judging you earlier; I'll keep my opinions to myself...but...talk to me Shane, what's bothering you?**" I asked sincerely and he shrugged my hand off of his shoulder and turned away from me. "**Fine, be that way**" I grumbled as I got off of my chair and got down on one knee resting my elbow on it and scanning the area through the scope on the rifle, adjusting it every so often. "**Y'know, It's weird seeing you do that**" He stated curtly and I kept my eyes trained on the sights. "**Oh yeah? And why is that?**" I asked flatly still sweeping the area looking for any sight of Walkers. "**I dunno, it's just...knowing you all these years and seeing you now, I'd just never thought I'd see you know how to adjust sights on a sniper rifle is all, it's kinda-**" He trailed off and I set the rifle down and turned to him. "**Scary? Yeah, I get that a lot**" I mumbled before picking the sniper rifle back up and going back to scanning the area. "**No, I was going to say impressive and...Saddening**" He sighed and I turned to face him like he had 8 heads. "**Wha?**" I asked bewildered and he laughed a bit before continuing.

"**I mean, impressive with your skills but, saddening in that you've changed, you're a little more harsher now, and colder and calloused**" He said softly and my expression went to solemn, and I looked down and away from Shane. "**Yeah well, Shane, war can change you like that**" I huffed in agitation as I switched knees to rest on. "**It's just, I guess I always figured you'd still stay the same-**" Shane trailed off and I shook my head in frustration. "**I still have the same personality Shane, I just grew up is all**" I snapped before setting down the rifle for good and getting up to leave, all he ever wanted to do was bring up my life as a soldier, and I just wasn't ready to confide in a civilian, just what I had done. Shane shot up and grabbed my wrist and I stopped dead in my tracks. "**How come you can ask me personal questions about what happened with Lori and I but I can't ask you about your life as a soldier? You've definitely changed PT**" He shot back. "**An affair is far different from the life of a jarhead Shane**" I growled low, shooting him a glare and baring my pearly whites at him. His face went to hurt before it was quickly masked again. "**How about this, I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours**" He suggested with a pleading smile and I smiled back. "**Alright, but you might wanna get some tissues Shane**" I joked as I sat back down in my lawn chair, soon followed by Shane. I sat down, told him some stories, but not the one that still haunted my every waking dream...the one that gave me my PTSD.

"**So explain yourself, what happened between you and Lori?**" I said as I leaned back into my lawn chair. "**Well, when Rick was in the hospital, I kept Lori and Carl safe, took care of them, as time went on they began to feel like a family, _we_ began to feel like family and I fell in love with Lori, we fell in love hard, as you may or may not know, Lori and Rick...their marriage wasn't doing so well, so that only spurred our relationship further**" He explained, heartbreak clear in his voice as he stared hard at Rick and Lori's tent, which on one side looked like it was shaking and Shane tossed his head in the opposite direction. "**I see**" was all I could answer with as I listened for any kind of disturbance. "**So, you and that Asian feller, what's his name uh...Akio? What's the story behind that?**" He asked clearing his throat, clearly trying to change topics and get his mind off Lori. "**I dunno**" I answered honestly and looked at Shane, his head was down. "**Do you like him?**" "**What does it matter Shane?**" "**Just wonderin' is all**" I analyzed him more; he had taken his hat off and was fiddling with it, like he had been back at the hospital when Rick was in a coma. "**Remember that day in the hospital, back when Rick was in a coma?**" I asked softly. "**Yeah what about it?**" "**You were gonna say something to me that day, before my General called, do you remember what it was that you were going to say?**" I asked trying to change that uncomfortable subject. "**No, I don't**" He answered curtly and I looked at him weird, but he didn't seem to notice.

"**Don't change the subject by the way, you and Akio, what's going on between you two?**" He asked looking over at me with pleading eyes. "**I dunno, I like the guy I guess, but there's just so much going on that I don't know what you'd call us, or how to proceed with things**" I answered as Shane grabbed two pops and handed me one, a cream soda, he still remembered my favourite. I opened mine immediately after I thanked him and took a sip. "**So have you two had sex yet?**" He asked, and at that moment I spat my pop out in disbelief, wide eyed that he'd just asked that. "**Uh, no, not yet**" I laughed awkwardly as I wiped the pop off of my boots with my gloves. Shane's hair was beginning to get sopping wet so I took his hat from his hands and put it back on his head before taking another sip of my pop. "**Why do you want to know?**" "**No reason**" He answered tersely and I shook my head and stood up but he pulled me down and into my chair, looking over at me with his sad brown puppy dog eyes. "**Please don't go Rabbit, not tonight, I need you**" Shane pleaded and I nodded my head as I leaned over and hugged him. "**I'll always be here for you Shane, thick 'n' thin**" I answered softly before sitting back in my chair.

"**So, 3 inch eggroll of fury huh?**" "**SHANE! I thought we were through with this!**" I barked as I threw my hands up in the air in frustration. I slumped back in my chair and let out a puff of air. He just laughed at me and patted my head. "**I'm just teasin' but you really do seem to favour the Asians**" He said as he pushed my shoulder, jostling me. I looked up at him and laughed. "**Or you're just jealous**" I teased back with a cheeky grin. "**Pfft! Why would _I_ be jealous?**" He shot back with a devilish grin. "**Because I'm pretty, and strong, and funny, c'mon you know me Shane I'm like the perfect package**" I joked throwing my hands up like it were obvious which just caused Shane to go into a fit of laughter, I was happy I could distract him from Lori, even if it was momentarily. No matter how much it still hurt that he never came back for us, I guess that would just have to be something I need to let go. As the night went on Shane and I joked around, my way of still keeping him occupied and also to catch up with him and his life from after grad night to the hospital and then from the hospital to now.

Neither of us dared touch what happened on Grad night, and I don't think either of us planned on talking about it for awhile. We had bigger more important things to focus on like survival, that, and we just not only got back to each other but, just got back to being friends again. "**You should get some rest Rabbit**" Shane piped up randomly at one point and a look of shock placed itself on my face momentarily before it was wiped away with a blank slate. "**I already slept on the ride to here Shane, I'm ok, but thank you for the concern, and you can sleep though I'll keep watch**" I said looking back at him with a small smile. He looked at me with uncertainty before turning his whole body to face me. "**Look PT, after I saw you in the hospital, I looked up PTSD and saw that it said with some subjects they don't sleep...**" Shane began and I eyed him carefully. "**Those that suffer in that sense usually have something they do to help them sleep at night with no nightmares...sometimes it's having someone share a bed with them...**" I cut him off, I knew what I was about to accuse him of wasn't where he was going at all but I had to derail the subject fast. "**Whoa whoa whoa Shane hold your horses, look I know you're hurting from Lori and all but, I don't want to be a rebound and we _just_ got back to being together again and _just_ got back to being friends again after all these years, I don't wanna ruin it**" I ranted acting like I was afraid of getting hurt.

Sure, I had a few things that usually helped me sleep at night without having nightmares like meditating, but when did I ever have the time to do that with all these walkers around us? Or dancing but let's be realistic, dancing during an apocalypse would just look weird, and Shane was right, when those first two didn't work, having someone sleep beside me did, but I wasn't ready to discuss my PTSD with him. "**Look Peyt, that's not what I meant, and it certainly wasn't my intention, I didn't mean it to come across that way, I'm sorry**" He mumbled and I squeezed his hand gently. "**Thanks for understanding**" I replied with a small smile. _'Crisis derailed and avoided, phew!'_ I thought to myself as I let go of his hand and turned back to patrol. "**I'm not ready to go to bed yet though, so uh, guess I'll keep ya company 'til mornin'**" Shane answered a few minutes after and I just nodded my head and we spent the night together watching over our camp and making small talk between each other.

When morning hit Shane and I groggily stumbled out of our chairs and lazily made our way down the ladder, him first with me right behind. I looked down and happened to catch him looking up at me, pausing part way down the ladder. "**What?**" I asked with a yawn and he smiled big. "**Nothin' just forgot you had such a nice little ass on ya that's all**" He chuckled as he took his right hand off a rung and tapped it once before going back down. "**I'll get you back for that Ron Jeremy**" I joked as I hopped down. "**Ron Jeremy?**" "**Yeah that seventies porn star guy, you have that style of hair**" I continued to joke and he looked momentarily offended before a realization hit him. "**How would _you_ know about porn?**" "**How _don't YOU_ know about porn stars, wasn't that your thing, _isn't_ that your thing**" I shot back with a playful grin. We continued our playful banter before helping some of the people around camp. After helping Carol with laundry and lugging some of our supplies from the van into camp Shane came and asked me to go with him to get some water, I said yes and we headed to his black Jeep Wrangler. My jaw dropped when I saw it and ran a hand along the hood and door before wrapping my hand around the roof rack. "**He's-**" "**Gorgeous I know, but actually it's a she**" Shane corrected me and smiled as I hopped in the passenger seat.

"**Your ride, you drive**" I piped up politely when he held a look of playful shock. "**I figured you'd wanna drive Dusty JR.!**" He said still acting taken aback as he hopped into the driver's side. "**Dusty jr.? As in? No way!**" I said excitedly. "**Yes way, I figure, she looks just like your old Dusty so, I named her Dusty**" He answered as he backed out and did a three point turn. "**I knew you missed me**" I said punching his arm playfully. We both laughed as we drove away. "**So, I know you diverted my question about PTSD last night, pretty clever kit, but haven't you heard? Trix are for kids**" He joked and I laughed. "**Ok you caught me, but what did you want? A full confessional about how I can't sleep at night without doing certain things to make me relax, or having someone babysit me at night so I don't scream and attract a horde of walkers with my noise? No, too dark and depressing**" I answered folding my arms under my chest. "**Touch****é**" He answered before he finally parked the car at a creek and we both got out. "**But kit seriously, I want to know all about you, _everything_, I want to be able to help you**" He said looking up at me as he grabbed the large jerry cans and I grabbed some. "**I'm not ready to talk about it just yet Shane**" I muttered as I walked over to him and he led me down a steep hill. "**Let me know when you are**" He answered back and we got to the base of the hill and started scooping up water from the creek.

"**Oh! This reminds me, I have some water purification tablet thingies, we should use those**" I exclaimed digging out a couple of palm sized packets from my pant pockets. "**Good idea Kit!**" I handed him a pack and we finished filling up our coolers with water before tossing in our tablets walking back up the hill with two coolers of water in hand each and tossed them into the back seat before heading back to camp. Instead of focusing all of my attention on the road ahead, I watched Shane from my peripherals and saw Shane still looking doleful. "**Park the car**" I requested and Shane just looked at me confused before pulling to the side to a complete stop and putting the e-brake on. "**You really care about Lori...don't you? I mean hell, you even look like you love her**" I stated and turned to him with a concerned face and he just looked down with a hurt expression. "**Shane, I know it hurts, but you've gotta move on, Lori will get over her childish hate for you when she realises you didn't lie to her about Rick being dead when it's what you really believed**" I began and he still said nothing. "**But what you also have to realise is that Lori loves Rick very much, and you can't step in the way of that, it's time you moved on-**" "**Her marriage with Rick was going under even before this whole damn apocalypse happened, Did she tell you that? Huh? Did she?**" He bellowed and slammed his fist on the steering wheel, keeping his angry brown eyes on the road ahead. "**I loved her, _love_ her and she just threw everything away like it meant nothing**" I laughed a bit before scooching closer to him and resting my arm across the top of his seat.

"**Now you know how those girls back in high school felt**" I joked, still keeping a soft smile and he turned to face me, a smile tugging at his lip but he quickly put it back to a frown. "**Yeah, I guess you're right, but I dunno if I'll get over her for awhile**" "**And that's normal, welcome to the world of women and human emotion Mr. Macho man**" I said dramatically tossing my arms into the air and bringing them at my sides as if I was emphasizing the world. "**Peyton?**" "**Yeah?**" "**Were you one of those girls?**" I looked away at the forest on my right. "**Yeah, I was**" I mumbled, I felt his arm wrap itself around me and pull me into him before it was joined by another arm.

"**I'm sorry Peyton, I regret that night**" "**Me too Shane, me too**" I said returning the hug. After what seemed like hours of our embrace I was the first to part and I cleared my throat. "**We should get back to the camp, people are probably wondering where we are and why we haven't turned up yet**" I said looking back toward the road and Shane looked at me a moment longer before nodding his head, taking the e-brake off, and driving the rest of the way back to camp. When we got back Andrea and T-dog grabbed the large green jerry cans and made their way into the main part of the camp. "**Water's here y'all, and no need to boil your water before you go and use it, Peyton here brought along water purification tablets**" He announced with a smile on his face. That happiness however was short lived and replaced with concern when we heard someone scream "**Mom!**" it was Carl. "**Carl?**" She cried out with worry and I was already bolting down with Shane, Merle, Ben, Dallas, Akio, Lori, Rick, Andrea and everyone else in tow I was breaking branches just to get to Carl. "**Mom!**" "**Baby?**" "**Mommy!**" "**Carl? Carl? Baby?**" Carl came into view and his mother snatched him up. "**Nothing bit you? Nothing scratched you?**" "**No**" "**Ok**". We came to a small clearing where a walker was feeding on a doe carcass that had some arrows in its hind leg I withdrew my pistol from its holster, then grabbed my silencer from my pocket and attached the two together.

We all surrounded it, Shane with his shotgun, Rick with a crowbar, me with my pistol, Dale with an ax, Glenn with some sort of piping, and a man in a ball cap and coveralls with a beard held a pitchfork, the women and kids all stayed back a bit behind us, Akio and Ben stood in front of them to keep them from coming closer to us and even got them to back up a little. The walker turned around and let out a snarl as we got a good look at the ugly bastard. Pale green sickly eyes, greyer than ashes, scraggly greyish white hair matted to his face from blood. He wore a button down shirt with a pocket on the left breast and loose tie, both articles of clothing completely soaked in blood...most likely from his prey. But what hit me the most, was that from just above the upper lip to just below his chin he was missing skin. He lunged forward and I took aim but Rick had already lunged forward first to smash the walkers head with his crowbar, that was followed by Shane smashing him in the back with the butt of his shotgun, then an all out bashing came from the men who held their bludgeons. Then Dale ended it by hacking off the head of the walker. "**That's the first one we've had up here, they never come up this far up the mountain**" Dale panted as he gestured to the walker's corpse. "**Well they're runnin' out of food in the city that's what**" Said the man in the coveralls and blue ball cap with a dark brown beard. As Dale swatted a bug away a rustle from the bushes sounded, I advanced with my gun raised and waited for another walker to appear, but instead, the barrel of my gun met the face of a handsome man around my age with dusty brown hair, blue eyes, a goatee, well built body, and a grey muscle shirt, holding a crossbow in his hands.

I lowered my weapon and stepped back looking back at the guys, Dale nodded that he was one of theirs. The new man walked by my but first gave me an analytical up and down before looking at the doe. "**Son of a bitch!**" He grumbled as he walked around the bushes to the clearing. "**That's my deer!**" He continued to complain as he got closer to the corpse. "**Look at it all gnawed on, This FILTHY, disease bearing, motherless, poxy bastard!**" He grunted out as he kicked the walker's body quite a bit. "**Calm down son, that's not helping**" Dale said softly, the man rounded on Dale, Shane held the side of the barrel against Dale's chest as if to protect him. "**What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to 'on golden pond'? I've been tracking this deer for miles!**" He bellowed before turning back to the deer and pulling the arrows out from the deer carcass. "**Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?**" He asked looking back at everyone. "**I would not risk that**" Shane said from below the bill of his ball cap, gun rested across his shoulders and hands/arms back resting on the gun, Daryl sighed. "**That's a damn shame, I got some squirrel, 'bout a dozen or so, that'll have to do**" Daryl said before turning to the walkers head and kicking it with his foot a bit. The walker's eyes fluttered open and its jaw began to move. "**Come on people, what the hell?**" He semi lectured as he shot an arrow into the walker's eye socket.

Daryl put his boot on the walkers head and withdrew his arrow. "**It's gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothing?**" He fully lectured as he walked towards camp. I strode up towards Glenn and tapped his shoulder. "**So who's redneck number two?**" I asked in a whisper. "**Redneck number one Merle's younger brother Daryl**" Glenn whispered back and I made an o shape with my mouth before walking in silence. "**Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel, let's stew 'em up**" Daryl called out as he set his bow down on a lawn chair. Merle emerged from behind the RV and smiled before hugging his brother. They greeted each other and Merle turned himself and his brother to face us walking back to camp from out of the bush. "**Daryl, that little blonde beauty right there? That's my new friend Captain Peyton Tacoma of the US Army, girl saved my ugly ass back in the city**" He said pointing to me and I smiled. "**You forgot to add that she had a gun in my face**" Daryl growled as I held my hand out for him. "**To be fair, I had it aimed in the air before I saw you, and I didn't know if you were friend or walker until you came out of the bushes**" I shot back and Daryl seemed to think this over for a second before reluctantly shaking my hand back. "**Nice to meet you and thanks for saving my brother, what kinda trouble did he get you into?**" Daryl asked looking at his older brother with a smile.

*****Woo! That's chapter 6/ Part 1 of episode 3 down, sorry for getting this done so late, I've been super busy with moving and other stuff so finally it's up! Gunna try my best to finish this episode! Thanks for all the reviews guys love 'em and fixing things as I go along :) if you have any ideas lemme know :) Also Kit is what a baby rabbit is called*****


	7. Tell It To The Frogs Part II

*****Hey guys! Totally took me FOREVER to get this chapter up and for that I apologize! I had been working two jobs plus our old laptop was no longer working because it died and the charger had to be held in a certain spot for it to charge so I had to do that in order for it to stay on long enough to e-mail myself the files! Anywho hope you enjoy this chapter, more Shane and Rabbit love will be on its way next chapter hopefully!*

"**This yo bro over here, comes up to the roof I was shootin' walkers on and he starts reaming me out for no reason! Then goes to hit me outta nowhere so I kick his ass and he gets my ass cuffed to a pipe on the roof by the sheriff! Peyton fought to get me uncuffed, and she eventually got that to happen and saved me**" Merle explained with a sour face, and I let out an uh oh before I saw Daryl go all wild eyed and rounded on Rick.

"**Your brother was a danger to us all, so I hand cuffed him**" Rick explained, Daryl turned around for a second then turned back.

"**Let me process this, you cuffed my brother? What were you gunna do? Leave him to die?!**"

"**Yeah**" Rick muttered under his breath and Daryl's face turned up in anger and whipped the squirrels at Rick, and was about to lunge at him when Shane shoved him to the ground. Daryl withdrew his knife and Merle walked over to his brother.

"**Watch that knife**" Shane warned as he pointed at Daryl who was sitting on the ground ready to stab.

"**Daryl, please stop! The important thing is they didn't go through with it, Rick gave me the keys back!**" I reasoned but Daryl lunged at Rick anyway swinging his knife wildly at Rick who easily dodged then grabbed Daryl's hand and Shane grabbed onto Daryl too as Rick ripped the knife from Daryl's grasp and let go of him entirely letting Shane hold him in a choke hold that eventually went to the ground.

Rick squatted in front of Daryl."**I'd like to have a calm discussion on this, think we can manage that?**" He asked tilting his head so that he could see Daryl's eyes.

"**You think we can manage that?**" Rick asked again before looking at Shane who nodded and let Daryl go.

"**What I did was not on a whim, your brother doesn't play well with others, but it's like Peyton said, the keys were given back to her and she freed him, so all is well**" He said calmly and Daryl just sat there for a long moment before looking up at his brother who held a hand out for him. Daryl took it and Merle helped him up. Daryl dusted himself off then turned to me with a blank expression.

"**Thank you for saving my brother**" He muttered.

"**No problem**" I answered back with a tip of my hat, and with that everyone was back to being peaceful. Rick stared at his wife Lori for a moment before looking over at me and strode towards me and as he walked passed me he gestured with his head for me to follow him and so I did. He took me to a part of the camp where no one else was and placed his hands on his hips and licked his lips.

"**We gotta make another trip into the city**" He hesitated and I looked at him like he had eight heads.

"**Why?**" I asked in disbelief.

"**We gotta get my guns**" He said looking away for a second.

"**Rick, let me get this straight...YOU want US to go BACK to the city so that WE can go get a duffel bag of YOUR guns that YOU lost in a horde of walkers, is that right? Did I say all that correctly?**" I lectured and he sighed then looked at me with frustration.

"**Look I know it sounds stupid Rabbit, but we need all the ammunition and firepower we can get, and you know that**" Rick reasoned and I groaned before placing my face in my hand.

"**Yeah we do, but that horde was HUGE Rick! How on EARTH do you think we're going to get them back and so help me God if you suggest that damn trick where we spread walker corpse all over us, I'm going to kill you myself with my own bare hands**" I said throwing my hands up in defense. Rick stood forward and rubbed the top of my head then smiled sheepishly at me and I growled at him.

"**Fine, but only 'cause you'd get yourself killed on your own, but we should take someone from camp who knows the way**" I reasoned folding my arms and showing him my unhappiness.

"**We should take Glenn then, he can get us in and out quick without being seen**" Rick suggested and I nodded my head and with that we both turned back to where everyone was at camp and Rick nudged me, he wanted me to announce our, or rather _his_ idea to the group as a whole.

I cleared my throat and waited until all eyes were on me. "**As you all know, ammunition and weapons are necessary if we want to survive this mess, I'm sure we'd all agree that they are even just as vital to our living as water and food...I am unsure of your weapon and ammo situation but even that plus the weapons myself and my squad brought along won't hold us forever, we're going to need to seize every moment of opportunity we have, therefore I am going to let you all know that Rick and I have decided to go back to Atlanta to retrieve some guns he left behind, it will be us two plus Glenn**" I announced with a clear and commanding tone I looked over to Glenn with a pleading look and he looked horrified. "**Oh c'mon**" He groaned as Rick stepped forward.

"**You know the way, you've been there before, in and out no problem, you said so yourself. It's not fair of me to ask...I know that, but we'd feel a lot better if you came along. I know she would too**" Rick said gesturing to Lori.

"**Well that's just great so we're gonna risk three men for some stupid round up for guns?**" Shane barked angrily. I turned to face Shane, I could tell by his tone a moment ago that he was pissed, but his face was livid. His strong jawline was clenched tightly and his brows were knitted together.

"**Shane, you **_**know**_** we need this otherwise we're useless against the walkers**" I tried reasoning and he just stood there arms folded across his broad chest, he did his usual sign of anger by dragging his tongue across his bottom lip, jaw still tense before looking back to me with his searing hot brown eyed gaze.

"**So that's it, huh? You're just gunna walk off? Just to hell with everybody else?**"

"**I'm not saying to hell with anybody…not you Shane… Lori least of all**"

"**Tell her that.**"

"**She knows.**"

"**Well, look, I… I don't, okay, Rick? So could you just… Could you throw me a bone here, man? Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a duffel bag of guns?**"

"**For the millionth time Shane, we need the ammo! Why won't your thick ass skull grasp that?**"

"**Well, that's three**" Dale piped up.

"**It's not just four. You're putting every single one of us at risk. Just know that, Rick, and you too Peyton. Come on, you guys saw that Walker. It was here. It was in camp. They're moving out of the cities. They come back; we need every able body we've got. We need 'em here. We need 'em to protect camp!**" Shane scolded us, I physically winced at his use of my first name, and I knew by that alone he'd gone way passed livid.

"**It seems to me what you really need most here are more guns**"

"**That's what I've been saying this whole time…**"

"**How many exactly?**"

"**Six shotguns, two high-powered rifles, over a dozen handguns. I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed. It's just sitting there on the street, waiting to be picked up**"

"**Ammo?**"

"**700 rounds, assorted**"

"**You went through hell to find us. You just got here and you're gunna turn around and leave?**" Lori chimed in bitterly.

"**Dad, I don't want you to go**" Carl added stuttering, eyes filled with hurt.

"**To hell with the guns. Shane is right. They aren't even worth ONE of your lives. Tell me. Make me understand.**" Lori shouted angrily as she shot up from her seat.

"**Look, Lor, I promise he'll be safe. He's got me, a trained professional with him**"

"**Don't you even speak a word **_**Peyton**_**! You're helping him into this mess!**"

"**I know, but you said so yourself earlier, I saved his life, and I'll do it again should it come to that but I doubt it**"

"**And who'll protect you?**" Shane shot back and I looked at him stunned.

"**Myself as well, I didn't make it to Captain on my looks y'know**"

"**Look, I owe a debt to a man I met and his little boy. Lori, if they hadn't taken me in, I'd have died. It's because of them and Peyton plus her squad that I made it back to you at all. The father said they'd follow me to Atlanta. They'll walk into the same trap I did if we don't warn him**" Rick explained calmly as he held onto Lori looking her deeply in the eyes.

"**What's stopping you?**"

"**The walkie-talkie, the one in the bag I dropped. He's got the other one. Our plan was to connect when they got closer**"

"**These are our walkies**?"

"**Yeah**"

"**So use the CB. What's wrong with that?**" Andrea piped in.

"**The CB's fine. It's the walkies that suck to crap… Date back to the '70s, don't match any other bandwidth… Not even the scanners in our cars**"

"**I need that bag. Okay?**" Lori just nodded her head.

Rick turned to Carl and walked over to him with a small smile.

"**Okay?**"

"**All right**" Carl replied quietly as Rick placed a large hand on the top of his head.

Rick left and approached Dale by his RV and everyone else dispersed minus me and Shane.

"**So you're really going huh?**"

"**Yeah**" I answered quietly staring at my feet wiggling the tip of my shoe in the dirt bashfully. I knew Shane was beyond livid with me, and I hated it. We _just_ got back to even getting somewhat closer and here we were fighting again.

"**Look, uh, be careful and all and uh… you come back ya hear? Oh and take this**" He said as he handed me an axe

"**Thanks, and I always do**" I replied back with a smile as I lifted my head up to him and he hugged me tightly but with a gentleness to it.

"**Promise?**"

"**Promise ya big sap**" I joked and we both laughed before we parted ways and Shane went off somewhere else in the camp. Ben, Dallas, and Akio all approached me with teasing eyes, well, Akio's look was more of jealousy.

"**So, little Rabbit found herself a mate to burrow with?**"

"**The fuck you goin' on a bout Ben?**"

"**Y'know, you and tall dark and handsome, the officer and a gentleman**"

"**Hee haw haw you ass, he's been my friend since we were kids, same as me and Rick**"

"**Sure sure Rabbit whatever you say**"

"**Cap, what the hell? I thought we had something special**" Dallas joked and I just playfully punched his shoulder.

"**You'll just have to share Private**"

"**Dangit**"

We all laughed and I hugged each one of them tightly before they all grinned and squished me in between them all for a 'Rabbit Sandwich hug'. Ben and Dallas took off to help Dale with the RV and Akio stood there with his hands in his pockets.

"**Cap, please, don't go**"

"**Akio, you'll live if I'm not beside you for a few hours**"

"**Ha-ha, that's the thing, I dunno, I've gotten so damn attached to you..**"

"**I promise you I'll come back**"

Akio just nodded and looked behind me and left, I turned to see what made him leave and it was Rick approaching me.

"**You ready to go?**"

"**Ready as I'll ever be**" I said starting to follow behind Rick as he rubbed my head real quick and I followed him to the white delivery truck.

"**Wait! I'm comin' too!**" T-Dog bellowed as he booked it to the truck and hopped in the back.

"**Me as well, in case I got ta repay ya for savin' my brother's life**" Daryl added, that made five of us now.

As I climbed into the back of the truck I stole one last glance at the camp as I stood up to shut the door. My squad stood there with expressionless faces, minus Dallas, poor kid looked like he was heartbroken. And Shane, his face was down at his feet before he looked up and his sad brown eyes locked onto mine, I felt my heart twinge with sadness before I smiled softly and threw the door down and locked it up.

I stood next to where T-Dog sat and slid down the wall plopping onto my rear keeping my one knee bent chest height and the other lazily laying on the ground while I propped my arm on top of the one leg and let the other one lay at my side.

"**So, uh, sorry about earlier**" T-Dog piped up leaning slightly to my side and looking ashamed, like a puppy who knew he chewed the garbage. I just looked at him and smiled and held out my propped up hand.

"**No harm, no foul, right?**" I offered and he took my hand and shook it.

"**Right**"

"**So, you and Shane huh?**"

I looked at him bewildered and shocked at his question that sounded more like a statement.

"**What?**"

"**You and Shane, you guys look awfully friendly**"

"**Well Glenn, that'd be because he and I have known each other for years like me and Rick, geez what is it with people and thinking Shane and I are an item? I swear I've said this exact sentence today already**"

"**The hugs, the extra sad looks, the spending the night in the watch nest on the RV together**"

"**That was to catch up on old times**"

"**Oh I bet it was**" Rick teased.

"**Rick shut up**"

Rick just laughed back at me while Glenn shot me a look of confusion.

"**What does he mean?**"

"**Nothing, he's just being a douche canoe**"

"**A douche canoe?**"

"**A canuck way of calling someone a douche, and I'm quite fond of it**"

The boys all giggled but T-Dog didn't let up. He kept playing 21 MILLION questions about Shane and me all the way to the city. Finally T-Dog's pestering was interrupted by the truck rocking violently back and forth tumbling me forward like a dryer machine right into the other wall. I cursed loudly and rubbed my forehead gingerly as a sour look appeared on my face.

"**Sorry!**"

"**Yeah yeah**" I grumbled as I lay down on my stomach in hopes that my body weight would keep me down. A few minutes later my hope was shattered by the bouncing of the truck bouncing me up and down causing me to curl up, no matter where I was or how I sat or laid down I was going to get hurt, T-Dog wasn't that much better off either.

"**We walk from here**" Glenn announced as he pulled the truck to a stop. We all hopped out, and jogged down the tracks and to a hole in the fence we all climbed over the guard rail and continued jogging through a large parking lot. Daryl took out some walker stragglers with his bow and would pick the arrows right out of their skulls, clean it and load his crossbow again. Rinse, repeat. All the way until we made it inside an office building with tiled flooring and boring grey walls. Closing the door behind us and locking it Glenn grabbed a black whiteboard marker and some various random office items and began to draw what looked like his very quick version of a map.

" **Look. That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now. That's the bag of guns. Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met. That's where Daryl and I will go**" He explained as he set a large black paper clip with a small crumpled piece of yellow sticky note down on one portion of the map.

"**Why me?**"

"**Your crossbow is** **quieter than his gun. While Daryl waits here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag**"

"**You got us elsewhere?**" Rick asked listening carefully, Glenn pointed to a spot two streets away.

"**You, Rabbit, and T-Dog, right. You'll be in this alley here**"

"**Two blocks away? Why?**"

"**I may not be able to come back the same way. Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Daryl. I'll go forward instead, all the way around to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me. Afterwards, we'll all meet back here**" Glenn explained thoroughly, I had to admit, this guy was brighter than I gave him credit for, but another sinking feeling that something bad was about to happen came in the pit of my stomach.

"**Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?**" Daryl asked with curiousness.

"**A ninja. Definitely a ninja…or a ninja assassin**" I joked and Glenn laughed at me and playfully hit my shoulder before turning back to Daryl.

"**Delivered pizzas**"

"**Well look at that, a pizza delivering ninja, the first of your kind I imagine**" I joked again and the other three guys just shot me a look that told me I was retarded.

We all split up according to Glenn's literal floor plan and myself, Rick, and T-Dog left to our designated alley and waited. We had probably waited a whole 10 minutes before a cry of help in Spanish rang in the air, me and the two boys booked it to Daryl and Glenn's location but by the time we made it, Glenn had been kidnapped and a young Hispanic boy was being yelled at by a very pissed off Daryl.

"**Whoa whoa whoa. Stop it**" Rick said as he held Daryl back.

"**I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!**" Daryl threatened and I held onto the kid's shoulder firm but gently so as to help separate and show him I meant no harm.

"**Let me go**" The young man ordered me and I just quirked an eyebrow at him and shook my head no.

"**Chill out**" T-Dog bellowed.

"**They took Glenn. That little bastard and his little bastard homie friends. I'm gonna stomp your** **ass!**"

"**Guys! Guys! We're cut off!**" T-Dog pointed out.

"**Get to the lab. Go**"

"**Come on. Damn, let's go**" Daryl groused and I grabbed the young male by his bicep and dragged him along as we all ran away from the horde of walkers that began to smash their undead fists against the fence behind us. Rick was the last of us to run as he grabbed the weapons bag and his hat. Once we were back in the office building I set the young male on a chair behind a computer desk and kept my hands firmly on his shoulders.

"**Those men you were with, we need to know where they went**"

"**I ain't telling you nothing**"

"**Jesus, man. What the hell happened back there?**" T-Dog tiredly asked Daryl as he hunched over the desk.

"**I told you, this little turd and his douche bag friends came out of nowhere and jumped me**"

"**You're the one who jumped me, puto**"

"**escuchar aquí muchacho le sugiero que cooperen**" I said as I leaned down beside him and placed my lips beside his ear, he chuckled and looked up at me.

'""**Veo que hablan español niña bonita**"

"**Sí**"

"**Wait, you speak that spick's language?**"

"**He's HISpanic and yes I do**"

"**Ask him in his language where they took Glenn**" Daryl growled and the boy just laughed an arrogant laugh.

"**And what makes you think I'll tell you what I know? Because you have a pretty lady who speaks my language?**" Daryl grew infuriated and went to kick the boy but Rick was able to hold him back again.

"**Guys, just let me do this**"

"**Are you sure Rabbit?**" Rick asked warily.

"**Trust me I know what I'm doing, go keep watch**" the boys all looked at each other unsure and hesitated before leaving the room, closing the door behind them.

" **Let's start with something simple shall we? ****¿cuál es su nombre?**"

"**Miguel**"

*Edit: Thank goes out to Emberka-2012 for pointing out my huge mistake! And thanks to all my reviewers/followers, you make me want to write more :)

Okie dokie! That's that! Phew apologies for the wait! I used Google Translate for these words so let's hope they actually came out right -.-'

TRANSLATIONS:

[1] **escuchar aquí muchacho le sugiero que cooperen**= listen here boy I suggest you cooperate

[2]** Veo que hablan español niña bonita**= I see you speak Spanish pretty girl

[3] **cuál es su nombre?**= What's your name?

Hope y'all like it! Doing next chapter tomorrow!*


	8. Vatos Part I

I circled around to the front of the kid and sat on my haunches before taking my cap off and laying it on the desk beside me. When I turned my attention to him he merely smirked.

"**¿Qué vas a hacer? Soplar me?**"

"**Lindo, pero no, tus amigos tomó mi amigo. Ahora es muy importante que usted coopere y dime exactamente dónde están lo llevaron.**"

"**Muérdeme me**"

"**Dime o rienda suelta a mi me muy enojado amigo con una ballesta**"

"**Ah, sí? Y ¿qué es él va a hacer a mí?**"

"**Daryl, come in here please**" I called out and within seconds he was busting through the door, closing it behind him.

"**What?**" He asked rudely and I just shot him a 'don't even start with me' look before standing completely straight up. I grabbed Daryl and pulled him to the far opposite corner to Miguel, and very quietly informed Daryl of what had been said and he just looked at me with a slight smirk and wandered over to Glenn's backpack that sat on a lone chair beside Miguel's.

"**Want to see what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?**" After rifling through it for a few seconds he pulled out Merle's severed hand from one of the inside pockets and threw it onto the kid's lap causing the kid to jump quite a bit from his chair and freak out. He looked up at me and Daryl with horrified large brown eyes as he pushed himself up against the wall.

"**Start with the feet**" Daryl grunted out as he took a hold of Miguel which I quickly tore Daryl off of.

"**Daryl knock it off I said scare the kid not literally act on it**" I growled out louder than I wanted and Rick and T-Dog came barrelling through the door, Rick took Daryl from my grasp and I grabbed my cap off the desk and placed it back onto my head properly.

"**The men you were with took our friend. All we want to do is talk to them; see if we can work something out**"

"**Ok, ok! I'll help just keep that crazy sonnuvabitch away from me!**" He stammered out as he struggled to get up I held a hand out to him and he took it gladly. I hoisted him onto his feet and he seemed to inch a little closer to me, for a reason I did not know.

"**Where are they Miguel?**" I asked emotionlessly and he looked up and me, not with his previous horrified expression but one of sadness and guilt. He didn't want to rat his friends out, and that was fine, but they had taken our friend, he had no right to feel guilt for them.

"**We have a hideout, not far from here, I can take you there**"

"**That's very wise Miguel, lead the way**" Rick chimed in and Miguel waited as we grabbed our weaponry and gear before we followed him out of the office building. The kid wasn't lying, not that I expected him to but still, the hideout was literally a hop, skip and a jump away from where we had temporarily stationed ourselves, and in that short allotted time we came up with a plan for the Mexican gang bangers we were about to encounter should something go wrong. We came a long a tall brick wall and me, Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, and Miguel pressed our backs against it for cover. I had one gloved hand on Miguel's abdomen to keep him pressed against the wall and to let myself know, that he was still there. A moment later after Rick popped his head out he motioned with his hands for us to move forward but none of us moved yet as Rick looked up at T-Dog.

"**Rabbit you get into place first**" Rick ordered and I nodded before detaching myself from the wall and turning back to face Miguel.

"**Don't you try anything stupid or funny, ya hear me? Or so help me God, I will snipe your scrawny ass from the roof**" I said pointing my index finger in his face and he just smiled slightly.

"**So you've been checking me out huh?**" I just laughed and playfully swatted him, even though he was an ass, he was just misguided and lost, but otherwise a good kid.

"**Just shut up and behave you retard**" I shot back as I took the rifle Rick handed me from his duffel and darted off into the building beside us, sprinting up the staircases until I reached the roof. I laid myself down against the concrete and whistled like a bird to signal that I was in position. I watched as Rick, Miguel, and Daryl all piled out from under the broken window and continued towards the large wooden doors ahead through my scope, swallowing hard with nervousness. If anyone ever told you a soldier never gets nervous in battle, they lied, we do, and it's perfectly fine so long as you don't freeze in action.

From my line of view I could see three hispanic men emerge from the building. In a matter of minutes the conversation didn't look like it was going anywhere, no side was letting up. In an instant, after the main gang man yelled a name two men came out on their roof holding a man, when they ripped off the sack they had on the mystery man's face my stomach did a large flip and curdled, it was Glenn. T-Dog snapped his head up to me and I motioned for him to keep watch, he did as I instructed as I dashed down the stairs of the building again and out. Instead of going to Rick I went right and around the outside of the ruins searching for a door that would get me up to the top, but I found something even better, at the back there was a fire escape ladder. so I switched on the safety and slung my rifle over my shoulder and slowly but surely climbed my way up it so as not to make a sound with my combat boots. Within a minute I was under the ladder and I had withdrawn my suppressed pistols from their holders and pressed them to the back of each man's head.

"**Boo. Don't move a muscle or I shoot motherfuckers**"

"**Glenn it's me, we're comin' to save you**"

I whistled like a bird again and everyone's eyes looked up, when Rick saw me he looked back at the main gang member and smirked.

"**See that woman up there, she's US Army, a **_**captain**_** in fact, this ain't her first rodeo so I suggest you and your boys lower your weapons and we all have a nice peaceful exchange, your guy for mine** **whaddya say?**" Rick said with a raised voice, tone dripping with confidence.

"**I think I still have a ton of men in this building behind me that could wipe out your precious G.I. Jane, so it's Miguel and guns or showdown, what do YOU say?**"

Rick's smirk dropped as fast as my heart sank into my stomach, I really hoped Rick wouldn't give in, and my fear unfortunately came to reality.

"**Rabbit, weapons down, we'll be coming back**" I withdrew my guns and reassured Glenn that I'd be back to grab him _alive_ before re-holstering my guns and heading back the way I came and met up with Rick. We all ducked into the building I was perched on and shut the door behind us.

"**That was a nice stunt you pulled back there Rabbit**"

"**Yeah, too bad nothing came of it, all that badassery gone to waste**" I joked half-heartedly. As I stood Jack Benny style with one hand tucked below my arm pit and the other one lazily rested on top of the other bicep. As Rick starts dividing the guns in the duffel bag Daryl paced back and forth for a moment before stopping and looking dead serious at Rick.

"**Them guns are worth more than gold. Gold won't protect your family, or put food on the table. You're gonna give that up for the kid?**"

"**If I knew we'd get Glenn back, I might agree. But you think that Vato across the way is just gonna hand him over?**" T-Dog added in.

"**You calling G a liar?**" Miguel defended and I sighed in frustration at this whole mess of a situation.

"**Are you part of this? You want to hold onto your teeth?**" Daryl spat as he slapped Miguel across the face.

"**Hey! Daryl that's enough**" I barked standing up straighter than a piece of 2X4 with my feet positioned in boxing stance, arms still Jack Benny style.

"**What? You don't want me harming your **_**precious Miguel**_" Daryl shot back venomously.

"**Quit being such a child Daryl and shut the fuck up, I just don't want them adding extra demands for damaged goods that's all**" I growled back baring my pearly whites at him in a snarl, to someone else I would've looked like the equivalent of a pissed off animal. Daryl and I were mere inches from each other when Rick told us to knock it off so we both backed away and I positioned myself next to Miguel. Once everyone had calmed down a bit T-Dog adjusted himself on the crates next to us.

"**Question is, do you trust that man's word?**" T-Dog piped up.

"**No, question is what are you willing to bet on it? Could be more than them guns. Could be your life. Glenn worth that to you?**" Daryl added again.

"**What life I have, I owe to him. I was nobody to Glenn, just some idiot stuck in a tank. He could've walked away, but he didn't. Neither will I**" Rick defended, causing me to smile slightly, despite the situation at hand.

"**So you're gonna hand the guns over?**"

"**I didn't say that. There's nothing keeping you three here. You should get out, head back to camp**"

"**No**" I chimed in angrily.

"**And tell your family what?**" T-Dog added.

"**C'mon, this is nuts. Just do like G says…**" Miguel pleaded at me and I just shook my head no at him before turning back to the guys. Rick tossed me a cloth and a black zip tie and I nodded my head before hoisting Miguel up by the bicep and tying his wrists together using the zip tie and then tying the white cloth around Miguel's mouth.

"**Shall we?**" I gestured to Rick and he motioned with his head that he wanted me and Miguel to go out first. I did as he told me and I gently prodded Miguel forward with my hand and only when we left the room and got outside did I withdraw one of my supressed pistols and press it against the back of Miguel's skull, my other hand guiding him by his left shoulder. When we came back to the clearing and the doors opened for us almost automatically before I pushed him in, gun still aimed up and at the ready. Rick, T-Dog, and Daryl filed in behind me, the amount of men in here made me nervous but I made no move to show it. This G guy wasn't kidding about the amount of men he had in here. I felt a lot of them eyeing me up, and I don't say this to gloat about my looks, I say it to state fact, however if you were to ask me if I knew why they were eyeing me up, I'd have to answer honestly with an 'I have no fucking clue'. G walked towards Rick, his facial expression told me he was very unimpressed about us wielding most of the guns from the bag.

"**I see my guns but they're not all in the bag**"

"**That's because they're not yours. I thought I mentioned that**" Rick shot back, keeping a cool and calm demeanor. One of the hispanic gang members came up behind G, he was more of a concern to me than his leader with his jerky movements and erratic behaviour.

"**Let's just shoot these fools now, ese. All right? Unload on their asses**"

"**I don't think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation**" G continued.

"**No I'm pretty clear, Rabbit**" Rick called to me and I grabbed my Army issued bayonet M9 knife from my thigh holster and cut Miguel's binds before re-holstering my knife and shoving Miguel toward his gang friends.

"**You have your man, I want mine**" Rick ordered.

"**I'm gonna chop up your boy, I'm gonna feed him to my dogs. They're the evilest, nastiest man-eating bitches you ever saw. I picked them up from Satan at a yard sale. I told you how it has to be, are you woefully deaf?**"

"**No my hearing's fine. You said come locked and loaded**" Rick snarled and everybody cocked their weapons at each other. "**Ok then, we're here**" He added, his gun still pointing at G's face.

"**Felipe! Felipe!**" an elderly woman's voice cried out, confusion plastered itself on my face as a small elderly hispanic woman came rushing out. The man named Felipe turned to face behind him quickly before darting his head to face us again.

"**Abuela, go back with the others…now**"

"**You bring your grandmother to your fights, now that's just low**" I piped up and G looked over at me with a small smirk and let out a single quiet laugh.

"**Abuela, listen to your mijo okay? This is not the place for you right now**"

"**Mr. Gilbert is having trouble breathing! He needs his asthma stuff. Carlitos didn't find it, he needs his medicine**" Abuela cried out to both Felipe and G, her frantic and scared look nearly broke my heart. To be honest, I felt like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, if it weren't for the imminent danger both sides presented to each other we would've put our guns down and acted like we were all buddy buddies.

"**Felipe, go take care of it, ok? And take your grandmother with you!**" G ordered turning to face them momentarily.

"**¡Abuela! Ven conmigo por favor**"

"**What did he say Rabbit?**" Daryl snapped.

"**He just asked his grandmother to go with him, that's all**" I answered curtly.

"**You sure? You were with that little homie a lot earlier**" Daryl shot back in accusation, I just turned my head to face him long enough to give him a 'you're fucking retarded' face before returning back to the MAIN situation at hand.

"**What is he talking about?**" G asked angrily storming over to me.

"**It's ok Guillermo! She was nice to me!**" Miguel defended.

"**Miguel leave, this isn't your fight kiddo, go with your Abuela and help that Mr. Gilbert out**" I ordered and he shook his head no at me, I sighed in agitation and Guillermo's smirk returned.

"**Who are those men…and that woman?**" Abuela asked shuffling towards us

"**Por favor, ven commigo**" Filipe pleaded with his grandmother, I had to admit, if it weren't for the fact that we were in a showdown with guns against each other and the threat of death looming over our heads, I would've found that to be cute.

"**Don't you take him**" Abuela ordered with a most defiant face, I couldn't stifle my laughter at the sight of this small woman, she was quite the little fireball, standing in the middle of a gunfight ordering _Rick_ to not take Felipe, even though that was not the reason for us being here. Guillermo continued to smile at me as I smiled at Filipe's Abuela.

"**Ma'am?**" Rick asked confused as he lowered his shotgun, Abuela continued to walk toward Rick until she reached his front.

"**Felipe's a good boy, he has his trouble but he pulls himself together. We need him here**" She pleaded with kind eyes, my smile faded and my eyes flickered over to Felipe momentarily before sweeping over the entire room to see if any move was going to be made, so far, with Felipe's Abuela around, nobody dared move a muscle. '_Interesting_' I thought to myself. '_Felipe's Abuela seems to keep them at bay, not because she's the head of their gang, but out of love and respect and not wanting to her to see their actions_' I continued to analyze the situation at hand.

"**Ma'am I'm not here to arrest your grandson**" Rick explained plainly.

"**Then what do you want him for?**"

"**He's…helping us find a missing person. Fella named Glenn**"

"**The Asian boy? He's with Mr. Gilbert come. Come, I'll show you**" Abuela practically sang with happiness as she took Rick's hand I giggled a bit but it was short lived when T-Dog smacked the back of my head.

"**Do that again, and I'll turn this gun on you**" I threatened.

"**You're starting to get a little too friendly with the enemy**"

"**You tool! Abuela's not the enemy she's a freakin' old lady who's sweet as pie and helping us out, get some brains there scarecrow**" I scolded as I slapped him upside his head, T-Dog and I just stood there glaring at each other for a moment before him and Daryl followed Rick out, with me bringing it up in the back. Guillermo walked beside me and looked over at me with a serious face.

"**Were you really nice to Miguel?**"

"**Duh**" I answered curtly.

"**Look, thank you, most people would've caused him harm**"

"**Yeah well, I'm not most people**" I answered back emotionlessly as we left the first warehouse room and came out to a courtyard. I looked around to make sure there were no snipers on the roofs before walking up a set of concrete stairs with red railings. Abuela took us to the right and down a narrow paved path that came out to a grassy clearing with a few trees and a nice long wooden bench that held a few red rags on top. This was a pretty nice place if you asked me, it felt homey…minus the gun toting angry gang members. Birds were chirping and singing their happy songs blissfully unaware of the apocalypse and the dangers in our area. Abuela continued to walk us through the clearing were a lone guard with a black fedora stood, Abuela shielded her eyes from the sun for a moment before she led us into a clean white building with a burgundy carpet. This place looked like a fully functioning hospital, but with sick people sitting on the floor along the main hallway. Each room had a patient and someone in there taking care of them or talking to them.

Aside from the fight over the guns, they were good people. "**Y'know, aside from wanting to kill us, you guys aren't so bad, where did these people come from?**" I asked softly so only Guillermo could hear me, and he smiled at me.

"**They came from all over, seeking refuge after the infection hit, we took them in, we're not bad people**"

"**Guillermo, you kidnapped our friend and tried to kill us over a bag of guns, and while I realise the gravity of the apocalyptic situation. There was no need for it to get that way**"

"**How quickly you forget you had your guns raised too**"

"**Only out of defense**" Guillermo shot me a steely look before his eyes softened and he nodded.

"**You will be the one to lead your group from danger, I can tell**"

"**Yeah? Well thanks but tell that to the rest of my group**" I grumbled.

"**They'll come around, you'll see**" He reassured me and I just smiled a small smile before Guillermo and I entered a small chat about himself and the hospital and the crew. Despite the chat, I never took my eyes off of Daryl, Rick, and T-Dog who had joined Glenn and a rather large gathering over at Mr. Gilbert. I heard T-Dog bellow out something about dogs which caused me to look in his general direction with a cocked eyebrow before I heard tiny little yips. I looked to the left of the group and saw three little Chihuahua's laying on a leopard print bedding with a pink interior which caused me to laugh and look at Guillermo who turned his head to look at me confused.

"**Evilest, nastiest, man-eating bitches eh?**"

"**Shut up**"

"**You at least had the bitches part right**" I kept joking in between my fits of giggles, but that was soon interrupted by a rather livid looking Rick who leaned in closely to Guillermo.

"**Can I have a word, with you?**"

"**You can talk to me with your muchacha here**" Rick looked at me, seemingly considering Guillermo's words.

"**You're** **the dumbest son of a bitch I ever met. We walked in there ready to kill every last one of you**"

Guillermo looked down for a second before meeting Rick's piercing blue eyes with his brown ones.

"**Well, I'm glad it didn't go down that way**"

Rick looked away for a second his blue eyes looked wild and wide with anger.

"**If it had, that blood would be on MY hands**" I cleared my throat. "**Our hands**" he corrected himself.

"**Mine too. We'd have fought back. Wouldn't be the first time we've had to. Protect the food; protect the medicine…what's left of it. These people, the old ones…the staff took off, just left 'em here to die. Me and Felipe were the only ones who stayed behind**"

Rick looked confused as hell, and at this point…so was I.

"**What are you, doctors?**" He asked incredulously.

"**Felipe's a nurse…a special care provider. Me, I'm the custodian**" Guillermo looked to his left and motioned with his head for us to follow him as he walked in that direction. He took us into a room that had clipboards pinned to the wall, a few brooms and a mop and a steel fridge next to another room. The couches reminded me of something out of a 70's Ikea catalogue, hideous in color and design.

"**What about the rest of your crew?**"

"**The Vatos trickle in to check on their parents, their grandparents. They see how things are and most decide to stay. It's a good thing too. We need the muscle. The people we've encountered since things fell apart, the worst kind… plunderers, the kind that take by force**"

"**That's not who we are**" I chimed in, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder, he smiled a small smile at me before returning to his serious facial expression and turning back to Rick.

"**How was I to know? My people got attacked and you show up with Miguel hostage…** **appearances**"

"**Guess the world changed**" T-Dog muttered, slumped in a chair, voice raspy.

"**No. It's the same as it ever was. The weak get taken. So we do what we can here. The Vatos work on those cars, talk about getting the old people out of the city. But most can't even get to the bathroom by themselves, still, it keeps the crew** **busy, and that's worth something. So we barred all the windows, welded all the doors shut except for one entrance. The Vatos, they go out, scavenge what they can to keep us going. We watch the perimeter night and day and we wait. The people here, they all look to me now. I don't even know why.**"

"**Because they can**" Rick answered, I let out a large breath of air I hadn't realised I was holding in and Daryl looked at me confused before his head snapped back to Rick.

Rick had handed Guillermo his pump action shotgun and began dividing the weapons 50/50.

Not long after we said our goodbyes and left the hospital, heading back to the van the same way we came.

"**Admit it, you only came back to Atlanta for the hat**"

We all laughed, 'cept Daryl.

"**Don't tell anybody**" Rick joked back.

"**You've given away half our guns**" Daryl groused angrily and I just scoffed at him.

"**Not nearly half**" Rick tried to justify but Daryl wasn't hearing any of it

"**For what? Bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow? Seriously, how long you think they got?**"

"**Does it really matter Daryl? They deserve to live at least a little bit longer than their originally intended expiration date you ass**" I spat at him, surprised and yet not surprised at Daryl's insensitivity.

"**How long do any of us**" Rick continued, by now I was so irritated with Daryl you'd think you saw my skin bristle like an angry wolf. That anger was short lived and destroyed by a disappointment so strong it made my stomach flip and my heart sink, we all stopped in unison at the sight…or rather lack thereof.

"**Oh my God**" Glenn breathed out.

"**Where the hell's our van?**" Daryl growled out, I looked around and saw everyone's face matched mine…that of horror and defeat.

"**We left it right here, who would take it?**"

"**I dunno, but we've gotta get back to camp, and soon before we hit nightfall**"

"**She's right, it's gonna be even more dangerous when it's dark**"

And with that we made the dash back to camp.

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out guys! I've been suuuuuper busy and haven't had the time nor the motivation to get this out, but now I do so, here it is Vatos part I. Sorry it was longer too but I wanted to fit a little more in from this episode. I'll try to start Part II tonight or tomorrow! Hope y'all like it!

Translations:

[1] "**¿Qué vas a hacer? Soplar me?**" = What will you do? Blow me?

[2] "**Lindo, pero no, tus amigos tomó mi amigo. Ahora es muy importante que usted coopere y dime exactamente dónde están lo llevaron**"= Cute, but no, your friends took my friend. Now it is very important that you cooperate and tell me exactly where he was taken.

[3] "**Muérdeme me**"= Bite me.

[4] "**Dime o rienda suelta a mi me muy enojado amigo con una ballesta**"= "Tell me or I unleash my very angry friend with a crossbow"

[5] "**Ah, sí? Y ¿qué es él va a hacer a mí?**"= Oh yeah? And what is he going to do to me?

[6] **Abuela**= Grandmother

[7] "**¡Abuela! Ven conmigo por favor**"= Grandma! Come with me, please

[8] "**Por favor, ven conmigo**"= Please, come with me

[9] **Muchacha**= Girl


	9. Vatos Part II

I couldn't tell you how much time had passed, but by the time myself, Rick, Glenn, Daryl, and T-Dog had even gotten about 5km (3 miles) from the camp, and dusk was approaching. We all heaved a sigh of relief and I just smiled slightly to myself despite all that had happened. I looked around at the other four and everyone was in deep thought, Daryl still looked mighty pissed, probably a combination of us sharing our guns and our van being stolen. Rick just looked both relieved to be almost home, almost with his family again and disappointed also probably from our van being stolen. Glenn just looked sad, and T-Dog, well I couldn't quite say what T-Dogs face was like but I guess he'd caught me staring at him and he shot me a confused look so I turned my gaze back to the dirt road ahead of me.

"**How is everybody's fitness level? Think y'all can run a 3 miler?**"

"**Probably**" Rick said his voice a little raspier than usual.

"**I KNOW I can**" Glenn boasted with a bit of a smile on his face.

"**Fuckin' easy**" Daryl grumbled.

"**Do we really wanna exhaust ourselves more guys? C'mon we're already tired from the god knows how fucking long walk we've already done**"

"**Sounds like someone can't hack it**" I joked with a mischievous smirk.

"**No, I'm just sayin' we play it smart, that's all**"

Everyone agreed with T-Dog, except for me and I just shrugged my shoulders as if to say 'suit yourself' and went back to staring at the road all the while staying alert for _any_ kind of trouble…Which didn't take long to stir. We'd had about less than 2 km to go when I heard cries of help, gunshots, and screaming, which caused me to instantly pull out my Heckler & Koch MK23 complete with a silencer and sprint the rest of the distance to camp. It was all out disaster, people running away in various directions, some grabbing others, some…_biting others_?!

"**Oh my god!**" Rick gasped his face filled with horror much like, Glenn and T-Dogs.

"**Go, Go!**" Glenn called out.

MK23 raised I reached camp just slightly before the guys and began firing on the walkers that had made their way through the camp. Andrea was down on the ground on her knees over a body barely moving crying her eyes out; one of the walkers must have gotten her sister. I ran over to them as a walker made its way over to them and shot it right between the eyes.

"**Go to Shane, he's getting everyone to the RV, go now!**"

"**But my sister!**"

"**I'm sorry Andrea, really I am, but you've got to go without her, she's infected**"

"**Please Andrea, just go!**"

Andrea hugged her sister one last time before rushing over to Shane and the few others he'd managed to get to follow him, I covered her back firing at any walkers threatening to hit her. I felt a hand grasp my shoulder and the smell of rotting flesh hit my nose like a bulldozer, I whirled around to see a walker had snuck up behind me. My Caribbean blue eyes went wide with fear as I tried to wriggle away far enough to land a killing blow with the butt of my pistol but just as the walker leaned in with its mouth open wide and ready to take a chunk out of me a loud bang followed by a large hole suddenly appeared where its face used to be and it slumped to the ground. I whipped my head back around only to see Dallas had saved me with his SR-25 sniper rifle. I was about to follow Shane until I had seen Rick scoop up Carl, making sure to keep an eye on not only him but myself as well.

I had looked around and the walkers had been killed, I breathed a sigh of relief and lowered my pistol some. I happened to see Amy's corpse shake a bit, and looked to see she hadn't turned yet. Instead she was crying, I knelt by her side and she barely cracked out her sisters name.

"**Andrea, Amy's still…with us, she wants to see you I think**" I called out and Andrea came running over to her, I made sure to scooch back a bit to give her some room. I almost cried seeing the scene before me, like something out of a movie.

"**I don't know what to do, Amy. Oh, Amy. Oh no, no**"

I looked away and then down at the ground beside me, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Amy gently caress Andrea's cheek as if to say 'I love you'. I nearly lost it there and stood up and walked over to Glenn to check on him, keeping my head down as I made my way to him.

"**You ok Glenn?**"

"**Y-yeah, I…I think so**"

"**No bites?**"

"**No**" I just merely nodded and checked on each individual, my squad following suit. I had to do anything to not only not cry from Andrea and Amy but to give them their privacy. What they were going through…was a hard thing that I understood all too well. When I had reached Jim who was next to Shane and the crew he looked down at the ground then at Amy and Andrea, then all of us his eyes wide with realisation.

"**I remember my dream now... why I dug the holes**"

I looked at him confused, I hadn't understood what he meant, but what he had said… had to have been one of the most bone chilling, hair raising, things I'd ever heard in my entire life.

A/N: Hey guys, I know it's suuuuuper short, especially compared to the 7 pages or so I usually give the others, but I didn't want to include the next episode in this one. Like I did with Tell It To The Frogs Part II/Vatos Part I. I may change this up later on and go back to merging episodes to make 'em longer but I doubt it. Anywho! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Starting up Wildfire right meow! (cookies to anyone who got that reference!)


	10. Wildfire Part I

Most of us, the more defenseless ones that is, went into the RV and slept. Myself and my squad however took to sleeping along the outside of the RV. I opted to take watch on the roof, every now and again stealing a glance at Andrea. She hadn't moved an inch since her sister's final moments, but I knew there'd be no tearing her from her sister...not yet. I sighed softly, as I tore my eyes from the scene of despair and continued to examine the perimeter. It felt like morning came too soon and Akio had climbed up the ladder to relieve me of duty, I slowly rose up and stretched with my arms towards the sky and yawned before making my way to the ladder. Akio stopped me with a hand on my shoulder; I turned my Caribbean blue eyes onto his warm dark brown ones and raised a tired eyebrow at him. He pulled me towards him and hugged me and tilted my head up with his large, yet soft hands.

"**I was worried about you yesterday**"

"**Yeah? Sorry, but… I came home, that counts for something right? Besides, turns out you were in more danger than I was**"

"**Yeah,** **heard you ran into some too, I overheard** **Glenn and T-Dog talking about it last night before they passed out**"

"**Nah, just a misunderstanding**"

"**Don't downplay it PT**"

"**I'm not downplaying anything**" I groused becoming more and more irritated.

"**Also heard you made some…friends**"

"**We're seriously going this direction?**" he nodded.

"**Like** **right** **now?**"

"**Uh yeah, I just want to make sure it's just a rumor**"

"**Look, I made FRIENDS, yes they happened to be male, but the only females there were elderly and being taken care of, so I didn't exactly get to even out the boy/girl, friend ratio!**"

"**Look, I just get a little jealous when other guys get friendly with my girl**"

"**Wait…your girl?**"

"**Well yeah, I mean, that's what this is…isn't** **it?**"

"**Uh…no! I thought we agreed to take things slow, I mean we're in the middle of a fucking zombie apocalypse for crying out loud! And last I checked you didn't ask me out, I dunno how things went down when you grew up. But where I'm from you ask a person out and only when the person accepts does it become official**"

"**Will you go out with me then Peyton Rose Taco-**"

"**No**" I growled as I shoved him away and slid down the ladder with ease and walked towards the other side of the RV. Dale appeared from the RV and smiled, he had a can of mini ravioli with a fork inside.

"**I got this ready for you, to thank you for last night and this morning**"

"**Well gee, thanks Dale, you didn't have to, but I really do appreciate it**" I said as I took the can from him and began to eat the delicious little heaven before me. I wandered around the camp, the slaughter and carnage looked even worse than last night. But perhaps it hadn't occurred to me until daylight lit up our battlefield. As I walked around I had realized just how many walkers hit our camp, roughly 20 or so that we had dispatched. This led me to wonder how they literally stumbled upon our camp, which led me to think about the families that were torn apart, which caused me to frown when it brought on the thought of my father and where he could be. I found a lawn chair and plopped my butt on it as I mulled over the thoughts of my father's whereabouts and how would I find him.

The last I had seen him was in King County and if the infection was as bad as it was then, I'm sure it was a total DEAD zone by now. And I'm sure Keating took him to a safer area…right? I sighed louder than I wanted to and realised I had finished my can of mini ravioli. So I found the nearest makeshift garbage can and tossed the can inside before heading to the RV and tossing the fork inside the sink. I came out and Shane had turned from talking to Dale to me and strode over to me, a small crooked smile splayed across his facial features. When he reached me he looked all around him for a second before looking at the ground then back up at me, doing his all too famous tongue dragging across his bottom lip habit. He'd had that nervous habit since I'd first met him all those years ago.

"**Look…uh, thanks for yesterday…and last night**"

"**It's no big deal Shane, you'd have done the same and besides we're all a group now and we have to help each other out**"

"**And I'm sorry too**"

"**For what?**"

"…**For not saving you last night, It's just that I…**" his brown eyes softened down to sadness as he played with his cap like he had the night we kept watch on camp, my first night here.

"**Shane, it's ok, you were a little preoccupied with the group and protecting them,** **besides Dallas had me covered**"

"**I know it's just…**"

"**Just what? You're the leader here Shane, sometimes you have to make the hard decisions, and sometimes those decisions include sacrificing one for the lives of many, and I'm ok with that, it's kinda in my job description y'know?**" I said as I placed a hand comfortingly on his shoulder and he looked at me with a small sheepish grin.

"**Mind if I ask a favor?**"

"**No, not at all, what can I do ya for?**"

"**Disposal…of the bodies y'know?**"

"**Oh yeah sure, you got it, I mean, it IS kinda early for Halloween** **ain't it?**" I joked and his grin cracked into an all-out, full on smile before he decided to steal my hat and slap his ball cap on me.

"**What the-?**"

"**You always did look good in my hats Kit**" He whispered before turning on his heel and placing my cap on his head. I just stood there completely dumbfounded by the action he'd just done. Thoughts of that, and all that'd happened these past couple of weeks flooded through my mind and I just stood there in a daze before shaking my head and pulling my ponytail through the back of the cap and catching up to Glenn as he tried to drag a hefty sized zombie by himself. Glenn looked at me as I approached and handed me a pair of black latex gloves so I quickly replaced my Kevlar gloves with the latex ones. Then I hooked my arms under the zombie's and hoisted him up and Glenn grunted a quick thank you as we heaved the walker to the designated burning pile that had already begun to be built.

"**Saved you the second pair of the badass black gloves**"

"**Thanks Glenn…I appreciate it, they are pretty badass, I never knew hospital gloves came in any other color other than white**"

"**And now ya do**"

"**Yep thanks to my pizza delivering, discovery channel ninja assassin**" Glenn just rolled his eyes at me and laughed as we finished heaving a second walker corpse.

We continued with clean-up until I saw movement other than the people disposing of the bodies, luckily it just turned out to be Rick approaching Andrea.

"**Be right back Glenn, I wanna talk to Rick for a sec**"

"**Yeah sure**"

"**Thanks**" I added cheerfully before turning towards them, and walking over. No sooner had I approached them that I saw a flash of silver in her hand and she pulled a pistol on Rick so I withdrew my MK23 and pointed it at the back of her head all the while staying silent.

"**I know how the safety works**" She said monotonously before I clicked the safety off and pressed the barrel of my gun against her head.

"**So do I**" I growled and she slowly turned her head to look at me, her gun still pointed at Rick.

"**You won't shoot**"

"**Oh? And what makes you so sure? You barely know me Andrea, and right now, you're threatening my family, that's a damn good reason to shoot you, Don't-cha think?**"

"**Rabbit, put your gun away, there's no need**"

"**Oh but there is, just 'cause you're hurting, doesn't mean you get to pull a gun on someone and threaten them**"

"**You don't know what it's like! So how DARE you tell me I can't do this**"

"**How dare I? Fuck you! I'm a soldier, lady. I've seen plenty of my family die, hell, I've even had them die in my arms, and I have lost my family to the walkers too, we all have, so stop acting like you're the only one in the world suffering this pain, **_**princess**__"_

By now everyone had gathered around, at a distance mind you, and all eyes were on us. "**I have every right to protect my family, and if you pull a gun, sweetness, I'm gonna pull mine**" She still didn't move.

"**What you're going through…It's worse than hell, I know, but we have to do what's right, and you know what's right don't-cha? I never knew her, but I'm sure she's like me in the sense that she'd rather be taken care of properly than turn into one of those things**" Andrea seemed to consider this before putting her gun down and turning back to Amy.

"**Just leave me a little while longer please**"

"**Ok but you know it can't be much longer, alright?**" She nodded her head, tears flowing through her eyes and most of the survivors went back to body disposal. Rick, myself, Glenn, Lori, Dale, and Daryl had moved to the fire pit, silently mulling over the event that had just unfolded as I put the safety back on my pistol and re-holstered it.

"**Y'all can't be serious. Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time bomb**"

"**For once, I'm with Daryl**" I chimed in.

"**What do you suggest?**" Rick shot back and Daryl neared him, pickaxe slung lazily over his shoulder.

"**Take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance**" Daryl suggested anger and frustration thick in his tone, and I had to agree with him, she needed to be disposed of, else Andrea would be turned, then who knows who'd she'd infect next.

"**No. For God's sakes, let her be**" Lori interjected as she sat down.

"**Fine, we'll let her be…and when she turns and bites Andrea, **_**you**_** can take them **_**both**_** out Lori**" I growled out and stormed off to grab a geek. I knelt down next to the one that had attempted to bite me last night and hoisted it over my shoulder fireman style and stood up slowly before walking to the walker bonfire and tossing it over my head and onto the pile. I turned around and almost ran into Dallas, who was smiling big at me, all I could muster was a small smile before going to another geek and lifting it up. Dallas just walked alongside me, hands in his pockets, as I threw it in the fire and went for another one.

"**Not gonna try and calm me down?**"

"**Nope, way I see it, is **_**she's**_** in the wrong, despite her heart being in the right place, it's gotta be done**"

"**So then, you're showing me that Daryl and I aren't the only ones with this opinion?**"

"**More or less, and I'm here for you to confide in as well**"

"**Much obliged**"

Dallas just smiled at me and we stopped when we saw the group collect around something, Jim. They were shouting something I couldn't quite hear until Dallas and I shared a look and went over to them.

"**Show it to us! Show it to us!**" Daryl bellowed and I pushed my way aggressively through the crowd, just before Jim grabbed a shovel from off of the ground, looking scared.

"**Easy, Jim**" Shane cooed, but Jim didn't listen as everyone closed in on him.

"**Guys stop it**" I warned but no one listened, I tried again but they ignored me.

"**EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP AND BACK THE FUCK OFF…RIGHT. NOW!**" I roared and everyone shut up and stopped, all eyes wide and on me confused.

"**One of us is going to get hurt if we keep ganging up on him, just fucking chill alright? Let's not back an animal into a corner for fuck's sakes**" I chided before turning to Jim and looking him straight in his chocolate brown eyes.

"**T-Thank you**" He stammered a small smile on his face.

"**It's ok Jim, would you please just show us, or if you feel comfortable with any one person, I'm sure they'd be happy to go private and you show them**" I suggested and he put the shovel down and nodded.

"**I'd….I'd like it to be you, please**"

"**Not a problem**"

"**Are you nuts? What if he turns?**" Lori screeched and I shot her a deadly glare.

"**You! Shut up! How come Andrea gets your grace but Jim doesn't? Huh?!**" I snarled baring my teeth at her before turning back to Jim, I sighed and softened my expression towards Jim.

"**Let's go Jim**" I said and he walked away from camp, I walked alongside him, with my hand on the middle of his back rubbing it gently.

"**Thanks again back there, you sure are a little spitfire**" I chuckled and continued to rub his back soothingly.

"**S'okay Jim, and thanks, I just have a morals and the balls to stand behind them, I'm also not afraid to speak my mind, probably why I did so well in the US Rangers**"

"**Rangers? I thought you were just regular army**"

"**Nope**" I paused for a second before turning to him with a playful grin.

"**But let that be our little secret, ok?**" I continued with a wink and he smiled back.

"**I promise**" and with that we reached the forest. We stopped and I looked back to make sure no one had followed us. And I nodded giving him the go ahead, he let out a nervous sigh and slowly lifted up his shirt. It revealed a decent sized bite, I took my glove off and gingerly let it run across the indentation.

"**Feels adult sized, how'd it get you?**" I asked softly and he broke down crying.

"**L-Last night, one of 'em got me when I tried to protect Jacqui**"

"**I'm so sorry Jim, look way I see it, we have two options**"

"**Yeah?**"

"**One, I can kill you here and now and I won't let any of those tools touch you**"

"**Or two, I can bring you back to camp, confirm it, and see what options we have from there**" Jim thought this over for a moment before he slumped down a tree behind him and put his face in his hands. Feeling guilty I slowly got to the ground in front of him and pulled him into me, rubbing his back and stroking the bit of hair that poked out from his ball cap on his neck in one fluid but repetitive motion. He wrapped his arms tightly around me, a shaking ball of a mess and I tried desperately not to cry as I let my chin rest gently on his shoulder.

"**I-I can't decide right now, please just…don't let me go back yet, I can't handle them**"

"**Yeah, not a problem Jim, whatever you like**" I cooed softly and he just pulled me against him tighter, I felt for him in a way. I could only imagine his feelings right now, alone, no family, now he's infected and his group just cornered him like an animal. I lifted my head slightly and moved it so that my face was buried in the left crook of his neck.

"**I'm right here**" I repeated softly, attempting to give him some reassurance. I knew it might've been a futile attempt…but it had to have been better than nothing right? We stayed like that for at least another five to ten minutes before he removed his head from my shoulder and looked up.

"**I think your man wants a word with you**"

"**KIT, EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?**" I heard Shane's southern accent call out.

"**He ain't my man**" I said to Jim before turning my head slightly so that the side of my face was semi visible.

"**EVERYTHING'S FINE SHANE, GO BACK TO CAMP, BE THERE IN A SEC**"

"**OK**" He called back and Jim visibly relaxed.

"**He's a good man**" Jim mused with a slight smile.

"**Yeah, he is, and he's not a total dolt like the rest of 'em**"

"**Your crew is nice too**"

"**Yeah they are**"

"**They're all lucky to have you, y'know? You've got such a good strong head on you and you're strong physically too, like a tank, but you're gentle and kind, funny and smart…**"

"**Well thank you Jim, just remember, you're a great man too**"

Jim smiled a bit before standing up and proffering a hand which I gladly took. After he hoisted me to my feet he looked me dead in the eyes.

"**I'd like to go and talk to them about my options please, but, you have to promise me you won't leave my side when we get there, I **_**know **_**I can count on you for protection**" He pleaded and I nodded.

"**Will do Jim, not a hair on your head will be harmed, of that I can promise you**" I assured him, and I meant everyword.

"**Thank you, Peyton**" He said hugging me again.

"**Anytime**" I replied as I hugged him back, after we parted,we walked up the dirt path hill while dusting each other off. It turned into a kind of a play fight where we patted each other laughing and when we got up the hill and into camp the whole group turned to face us and our horsing around stopped. I stood in front of him and he leaned in behind me and asked me to speak for him so I nodded yes before turning my face back to the group.

"**I took a look at Jim and…he's been bit, BUT we came up here to discuss options, if someone here has an issue with that…** **You can go through me, now, can we all be reasonable, rational people?**"

A/N: Woo! A lot of filler but that's part one down! I wanted to kind of build a rapport/relationship between Jim and Peyton first because I hated that everyone ganged up on him and he didn't really have anyone in his corner. And he's been through a lot and he's pretty much alone. So seeing as Peyton is a protective and morally strong and sound of mind (so far) kind of a gal, I decided her and Jim would get a little close. How close exactly? You'll find out in part two! Also I wanted that push and pull again between Shane and Peyton, I want it consistent even if it's something as small as Shane stealing Peyton's hat but giving her his. I want that "why did he do that?" question to pop in your heads and to wonder what will happen next, I know Peyton's doing just that! Hope you guys like it! : )


	11. Wildfire Part II

"**No, you go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!**" Daryl growled out and went after us, pickaxe raised. He tried shoving me out-of-the-way but I hooked my leg with his and lifted which caused him to flop on the ground. I grabbed Jim and moved backwards hiding him behind me. Shane and Rick placed themselves in between myself and Daryl, Shane with a shovel at the ready and Rick had his colt python pointed at Daryl's face.

"**We don't kill the living**" Rick snarled, and Daryl lowered the pickaxe.

"**That's funny, comin' from a man who just put a gun to my head**" Daryl muttered just loud enough for us to hear. Shane went around to the other side of Daryl, his shovel lowered to his thighs and looked at him.

"**We may disagree on some things, not on this. You put it down. Go on**" Shane ordered calmly. Moments later Daryl impaled the ground with the pickaxe and walked away. Shane looked at me standing in front of Jim with my hands back and wrapped around Jim's sides ready to protect him before walking away. Rick turned to me and I didn't move an inch.

"**Follow me you two**"

"**Where to Rick?**"

"**Somewhere safe for Jim, I promise**" I looked up at Jim and he nodded so we both followed Rick into the RV.

"**You're best stayin' with him in case someone tries something, we've decided that we'll leave for C.D.C. to find a cure…now I'm off to go help bury the other bodies, so take care of him alright? Don't let our hard work go to waste**"

"**Got it**" Rick nodded before heading out of the RV and locking it behind him.

"**Thanks for staying with me, I only needed your protection out there, everyone else is pulling duties so it'd have been ok to leave me here**"

"**I will do no such thing Jim, I've stuck with you this far, I refuse to leave you now**" I answered folding my arms across my chest in defiance. He smiled and held his arms out so I walked into them and hugged him.

"**You're awfully huggy today**" I stated after moments of quiet.

"**Yeah, I guess, I just can't stop hugging you…especially since you're the only one by my side…in my darkest hour of need**" He muttered just loud enough for me to hear.

"**You're not in your darkest hour of anything Jim, we'll find the cure…we have to**" I assured him, burying my face in his chest. I felt his head rest on mine and I couldn't help but smile, I needed the hug.

"**That Akio guy seemed pretty pissed at you holding me back in the woods**"

"**Wait, he was watching us?**"

"**Yeah, guess he got concerned**"

"**Yeah well…he can shove it up his ass**" I growled out and he moved an inch away, letting his hands slide down my arms and pull me with him back towards the bed. He sat down and pulled me onto his lap.

"**What happened between you two? You guys seemed **_**more**_** than fine the other night**" I cocked an eyebrow at him and he smiled.

"**Oh I heard **_**everything **_**your first night with us at the camp, shortly after you went to…what was it? **_**Stretch your legs**_**? I went to the bathroom not far from you two and heard it all**"

"**Awkward bathroom break**"

"**Sure was**"

"**He just got territorial and over bearing it's like I'm not allowed to have male friends because he 'claimed me' without even asking me out and thinks all men are in love with me**" I ranted blowing out a puff of frustration at the end of my speech and threw my hands into the air.

"**Ooo! man that is pretty over protective**"

"**You're telling me! I wanna beat that guy over the head!**" I grumbled and Jim laughed at me. When I looked back at him I couldn't help but smile, I needed to confide in someone other than my crew or friends, someone who wouldn't be biased or a kiss ass.

"**You should probably get some rest Jim, you look really worn out**" I piped up after a while and he frowned.

"**But I don't want to be alone**"

"**You won't be, I'll be right here**" I assured him placing a hand on one of his, he nodded slowly in agreement after a moment then took his shirt off. He ripped the covers back and tossed them back on, I stood up and leaned over him to tuck the blanket around his body, so as to keep him warm and should anything happen…give me a bit more time. Once I finished I looked at him for a moment then pulled his hat off and placed it on the counter next to the bed before giving him a kiss on his forehead. I went to move away and he pulled me down by my arms, before I could do anything he crashed his lips onto mine. My eyes went wide for a moment before I relaxed and kissed him back, our lips parted and met several times before he pulled me onto the bed and on top of him. Using his left hand that was large and calloused which, I noted that I liked, he brushed some of my hair back and dragged his tongue across my bottom lip. I gladly let him enter my mouth and let my tongue intertwine with his, our tongues massaging each other's. I sighed in pure happiness as we continued to make out and he wrapped his arms tightly around me, affectionately.

Finally we parted for air and he beamed up at me, causing me to smile brightly back at him. "**You kissed back**" he noted.

"**That I did, you kissed me first**"

"**That **_**I**_** did, it's because I like you**"

"**Y'know what Jim, I think I like you too**"

"**Oh? And what brought that on?**"

"**I think it was when I first saw you, I remember seeing you working on the RV and I remember thinking you were quite handsome**"

"**Oh really?**"

"**Yeah really**" I shot back with a playful grin.

"**Peyton, I'm gettin' tired, but I don't want to be without you, especially not now, will you please lay with me?**"

"**Ha-ha, ok Jim, I know I said I liked you and all, but I don't wanna go that fast**"

"**Ha-ha, I meant I wanted you to just sleep with me, not sex**"

"**Ohhh… ok, I can most definitely do that**" I said with a giggle as I rolled to his side and looked over at him. He looked over at me and held his hand up, I took it and we both smiled. I felt my heart swell with happiness, I barely knew Jim…and yet…I liked him. He didn't judge me, he understood me. He didn't fault me, he thought what I did was right, and he comforted me, even though he was the one in need of comfort. I gave him a quick peck on the lips and he returned it then kissed my nose causing me to smile like a big dork. So I kissed him back on his nose then we kissed each other on the lips a few more times before we fell asleep. It didn't feel like much time had passed before I felt the bed shaking which caused me to wake up. I looked to my left and saw Jim backed up against the corner sitting upright, eyes wild with fear.

"**Oh no. No, no, no, no. No, not this, please. No, no, no. Oh, no, no, no. No, no**" I quickly leapt onto my knees and grabbed his hands and held them in my own.

"**Jim! Jim! Snap out of it!**" I called out and he wasn't listening, I tried shaking him but he just retracted more. So I pried his arms away from his face and down and thrust my body against him and crashed my lips onto his.

"**Jim, it's me, Peyton… come back to me**" I whispered into his ear and suddenly his arms stopped struggling and he gripped me tightly against him, shaking and sobbing. I wrapped my arms around his neck and played with his hair in a loving way to try and calm him down.

"**It's ok, it was just a nightmare, I'm here for you**" I cooed repeatedly and he continued to sob. I leaned back a bit and he instinctively snatched me closer again, so I just wiggled my arms back and used my thumbs to wipe away his tears.

"**There were so many**" He shivered out.

"**They're gone now, I've chased them away**"

"**I know**" he said pausing before looking into my eyes calmly but seriously.

"**Thank you**" he continued before he kissed me gently on the lips which I gladly returned and he sighed happily. I let my hands slide slowly down his sides and he let his do the same to mine until they drifted to my thighs. I let my hands drag up his abs which were quite nice, not a whole lot, but they were still pretty nice. My fingers ran through the slight bit of hair that had grown there and ran them up onto his only slightly hairier chest. We sank back into the bed and he lifted the blanket, I took a moment but then decided to hell with it and cuddled with him. Legs entangled with each other's, bodies pressed tightly against one another, my head against his chest with our fingers laced together. Moments later the heat his body gave off began to make me sweat more than usual so I took my jacket off, and kicked my boots off, leaving me in my olive green, tight fitting military issued shirt, and my issued pants, and white breathable socks.

Jim looked down at my right arm and let go of my hand to trace the bottom of my tattoo that poked out beneath my sleeve. "**That's quite the ink ya got there**"

"**Yeah, that's a Samoan tattoo…I'm two quarters Irish and two quarters Samoan. So if you were to divide me up, I'm half and half**"

"**You don't look very Samoan to me**"

"**No, I don't suppose I do, guess I take more after my dad than my mum**" I answered thoughtfully as he lifted my sleeve up.

"**Looks real neat**"

"**And that's only part of it**" I chirped proudly.

"**If you don't mind I'd like to see the rest of it**"

"**Sure, but just a look**" I said as took my cap off, sat up and slid my shirt off revealing my tattoo, toned, tanned, and scarred physique along with my plain black bra. My tattoo, is much like the Rocks. It went from the base of my shoulder-blade, up to the base of my neck and wrapped around to just below my bicep, over my shoulder, and ended just below my collar-bone, whereas the Rocks covered his pectoral.

"**Wow, it's beautiful**"

"**Thanks, I got it done after I enlisted, I have many of my soldiers names hidden in it, different meanings, etc.**" I explained and he looked me in the eyes. I went to grab my shirt when he placed a hand on my abdomen, and ran a finger diagonally down it.

"**What happened to you**" I looked down and noticed he was tracing my scar.

"**I…saved a squad mate from a grenade and didn't get away in time…a piece of the shrapnel lodged itself in my abs, but it didn't penetrate deep enough to kill me**"

"**You're lucky**"

"**That's why they call me rabbit**"

"**Sorry**"

"**It's ok**"

"**No…it's not, you go through a lot, and you still smile, no matter what, you smile… and no one takes the time to see how you're _really_ doing, you're tougher than I thought**"

"**Thanks**" I replied, Jim looked me deep in the eye and kissed me softly before letting me put my shirt back on. Once I'd slid the shirt back on and placed my cap on the counter beside his. We laid back down for the umpteenth time that day and held hands once more before kissing each other repeatedly. I really enjoyed the way his beard scratched my skin yet felt soft at the same time. After a bit we stopped kissing and just laid there, after a few minutes Jim fell asleep. I got out from under the covers and tucked them underneath him then I quietly slipped my combats on and laced them tightly before heading to the front of the RV to grab a glass of water. As quietly as I could I opened a few cupboards before finding a few plastic red cups much like the ones you use to play beer pong and placing it silently on the counter below. After closing the cupboards I turned the sink on and looked over at Jim who had barely stirred since I left him and let a trickle flow from the tap and slowly fill my cup. I hadn't realized just how hot and sweaty I had gotten so I ripped my shirt off and held onto my dog tags so as not to let them clang and wake Jim up. I set my shirt on the counter before drinking the water from my cup until I'd emptied it. Then I took my shirt and rung it over the sink, it was so full of sweat from the Georgia heat that I could have watered the entire camp crew plus maybe one of my squad mates.

The door creaked open and Carol came in with a large pot in one hand and a copper orange rag in the other, her eyes went wide before she closed the door behind her and turned her eyes away.

"**I'm so sorry!**"

"**Carol?**"

"**Yeah?**"

"**It's ok just…I dunno what you saw but… please don't tell anyone**"

"**I won't I promise, not trying to hit on you or anything but you have an amazing body…y'know, despite the scars**"

"**Thanks, I appreciate that, and I know you aren't, how're you holding up?**"

"**Good as I can, y'know**"

"**Yeah, I do, if there's anything I can do for you let me know, I'm here for you**"

She nodded her head and walked over to Jim, my head perked up like a meerkat and watched her. She looked at me for a moment and dunked the rag in the bucket.

"**Just washing him up…you seem to have taken to him quite a bit, gone as far as to protect the man when you barely know him**"

"**Yeah, I just…I hate it when people just gang up like that, I realise it's hot and we're in the middle of an apocalypse but we can't just lose our humanity in the process, everyone gave Andrea and her sister grace, respect, and a chance, but no one gave Jim a damn thing…and he's all alone. My heart broke for him and I felt the need to protect him at all costs**"

"**I think it's gone beyond that**" Carol smirked knowingly as she gently wrung the rag.

"**Oh? And what makes you say that?**"

"**I saw you poke your head up and watch me to see what I was going to do, that to me shows more than just a protection interest**"

"**Between you and I…yeah, I like him…he was the only one who didn't claim me as his or get overprotective on me, it's nice**"

"**Jim is a good man, I hope we find that cure**"

"**We have to**" She nodded at me with a smile but sadness had set deep in her eyes as she continued to wash Jim who seemed to start to wake up a bit. His brown eyes searched for me until he found me and I saw him relax, he sat up right and allowed Carol to continue to wash his body down. Moments after the door opened again and Rick and Lori came in, both stopped dead at my shirtless figure before walking to the back to Jim. I caught Lori occasionally sneaking peeks at me, and I didn't like it. I felt self-conscious about my scars and just leaned against the counter and folded my arms in an attempt to cover up my scar. I at least had the advantage to hide the ones that littered my back due to my back being away from them.

"**His fever is worse**" Carol said sadly, looking between Lori and Rick at me solemnly. I looked down at my boots and frowned.

"**Do you need anything?**" Lori asked leaning against the wood frame.

"**Uh…water. Could use more water**" He said slowly.

"**I'll get some**" Lori offered and after Jim said a thank you she asked Carol to come with her and nodded for me to follow. I shook my head no and kept my piercing Caribbean blue eyes on Rick and Jim. Rick looked back and smiled.

"**It's ok Rabbit, you know I'm on your side**" He piped up and I frowned looking over at Jim who merely nodded that it was ok.

"**Call me if you need anything ok?**" I added and Jim motioned with his finger to come toward me. So I did, and he motioned for me to come closer so I leaned in and he grabbed the back of my neck gently and pulled me in for a long slow kiss. When we parted my cheeks went beat red, and this time it wasn't from the heat.

"**That ought to do it for now**" He said beaming at me and I smiled back, he handed me his shirt and I quickly tossed it over myself before grabbing Shane's cap and placing it on my head.

"**I'll be back**" I called out before leaving the RV Lori and I stayed outside and leaned against the wall.

"**You and Jim huh?**"

"**Yeah, I guess so**"

"**Thought if anything you'd have been with Akio**"

"**No, he got way too territorial over me**"

"**So how exactly did you and Jim happen?**"

"**I dunno, we just kinda…connected y'know? I mean we aren't official or anything but…I wouldn't be opposed to it**"

"**And what about you and Shane?**"

"**Pfft, Lori you know what he's like…what he did to me…that shit may be forgivable but I certainly haven't forgotten, even animals know not to stick their noses in places they're gonna get hurt**"

"**True but…sometimes people change**"

"**Look Lori, I know you two…hooked up or whatever the kids call it nowadays, so that to me, shows he hasn't changed**" Not long after our girl to girl talk did the devil himself show up, looking upset.

"**I need you to help talk some sense into Rick. Look, this C.D.C. thing, Lori, it's a mistake**" Lori looked away her mouth parted and a small noise in hesitation popped out of her mouth.

"**So you're backing him?**"

"**What else would I do? He's my husband**"

"**And what about you Peyton?**"

"**It's worth a shot Shane, I mean who knows maybe it'll turn out to be a good thing**"

"**And if it doesn't?**"

"**Then we move on, but we sure as hell aren't safe here anymore**" I scoffed, Shane turned back to Lori.

"**Look, it may be time for you to play the dutiful wife, but you can't tell me that fixing your marriage is worth putting people's lives at risk**"

"**I think folks around here can make up their minds without bringing my marriage into it. It's a habit you need to break**"

"**Both of you knock it off, you two are **_**both**_** in the wrong! **_**Both**_** of you got involved with each other so just accept your responsibilities and move on for crying out loud!**" I whispered angrily.

"**I guess I'll just add it to the list of habits that I'm breaking whether I like it or not**" Shane retorted and I groaned in frustration. Not long after Rick emerged from the RV looking confused.

"**What habits?**"

"**Just talking about my need for a plan, man. So what is it? Are we leaving or not? Maybe y'all just want to stay here. We could hang some more tin cans**" Shane dodged and I just shook my head in disbelief.

"**We can't stay here, we both know that**"

"**I was just telling Shane I think we need to trust your gut**" Lori chimed in looking at Rick who looked right back at her, I couldn't exactly decipher their facial expression, but I think Rick was relieved that his wife had his back…if only he knew what she'd done behind it. Shane looked at the ground for a few moments before looking up at Rick, then me, then Lori.

"**Let's go do our sweep**" He finally piped up again and Rick nodded, I just walked to the RV door unable to deal with the awkward pressure any longer.

"**Oh, hey, no don't go in there, he's…not himself**"

"**I know a way to fix that**" I said calmly as I pushed past Rick and went to the back of the RV. Jim looked out of it, staring out the window blankly until he heard my combats clunk against the ground. I grabbed my empty cup from the sink counter and filled it up. Not long after I'd filled it, someone had come in behind me. I ignored them and walked steadily towards Jim. When I reached the bed he laid on I hopped onto it with my knees and scooted closer to him. Then in one slow but fluid movement I kissed him on the lips, only seconds later he responded by kissing back. I parted and handed him the glass of water which he quickly took and gulped down.

"**Ya gotta quit rescuing me**" He joked

"**Over my dead body**" I joked back and he pulled me onto his lap, I still didn't know who'd come in after me but I think by now they'd left. We parted again and he took my hand in his and laced our fingers together up by our faces.

"**Y'know Rick wants to know what we'd call…this**" He finally piped up.

"**Him along with everyone else in the camp I'm sure**"

"**This is all happening real fast**"

"**I know**" I answered quietly as I put my head down. He lifted my chin back up with his finger and kissed me long and slow before he stopped again and smiled.

"**I want to call us something, I want to have something with you, it's crazy I know but I just feel…like I need you, like God gave you to me**"

"**Yeah? Well…I'd like to call us something too**"

"**Hey mini tank?**"

"**Yeah?**" I asked looking deep into his warm chocolate-brown eyes.

"**Will you be mine?**"

"**Hell yes**" I answered happily, ignoring the slight bit of worry that sat in the back of my head. I felt crazy but happy that I was taken by Jim, maybe it was a moment of weakness thing for him, wanting someone before he goes, whatever the reason I was more than happy to oblige. After a few more kisses I grabbed my shirt and jacket and left the RV. I took a look at the campfire, Andrea and Akio were sitting close together in a couple of lawn chairs. She was asleep in hers cuddling with a sky blue blanket, Akio looked up at me with a furious expression before scooting closer to Andrea and playing with her hair. I just shrugged my shoulders and continued down to the teal blue waters of the quarry.

"**Hey, where you off to?!**" I heard Glenn call out

"**To clean a couple of clothes and bathe, I dunno if you've noticed it or not but I stink! And so do these clothes!**"

"**Oh trust me we've noticed**" Glenn joked and Lori appeared beside him.

"**Washing stuff is just at the base of the quarry!**"

"**Thanks Lor!**" I waved at them and continued down the long slope.

Once I got to the bottom I stripped Jim's shirt off and grabbed the wash boards and began to wash them in the water. I scrubbed hard making sure to get all the stains from every article of clothing, luckily enough my boots and pants and socks were relatively clean so I left them and hung my shirts and jacket to dry. Once all of that was said and done I looked to my left and saw area that had a ring of bushes I could change behind. So I walked over, with my pistol raised and safety off and checked the area for walkers, just in case. As soon as I was satisfied I removed Jim's hat, stripped, and the rest of my combats until I was in my skivvies and waded out into the water. When the water reached mid quad height I dove in and swam underwater for about 3 minutes before coming up for air. When I had come up I heard a branch crunch, and I had stupidly left my weapons on the shore.

A/N: DUN DUN DUN DUHHHHH What or who could it be?! Find out in the next chapter! I know I kinda rushed Jim and Peyton's relationship thing, but I kinda had to. Hope you guys are ok with the pairing, I know this is a Shane X OC story and we'll get to that! I just want drama first and to build up to it. This one is about 1,000 some odd words longer than usual and for that I apologize, the next one should be back to normal length. It's quarter after 1 am here so it's time for me to rack out! I'll start working on the next chapter in the morning! Hope you guys liked this chapter!


	12. Wildfire Part III

A snap of a twig, the crunch of it breaking under a foot on gravel, I waded back a bit in the water. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it was going to burst out of my chest, my breathing quick and shallow. It felt like forever before a figure finally emerged, and it was Dale. I sighed with relief and swam to shore quickly, when I had gotten to the more shallower area where I could stand I started to walk onto shore taking my ponytail out and wringing the water from my hair.

"**Geez Dale, ya scared me half to death**" I let out with a little laugh; he smiled a small smile before he picked my clothes up off the ground and handed them to me.

"**Sorry for coming up on you so quietly, I didn't want to seem like a pervert**"

"**Oh, no, you wouldn't have, it's ok, and no autopsy no fouls right?**"

"**Hahaha right, look there's something I want to talk to you about…it's been weighing on my mind since I first met you**"

"**Yeah sure, shoot**" I said following him to a nearby grassy area where I got changed and sat down. I was still topless but I had no dry shirts left.

"**It's going to be a few things actually…the first thing I wanna ask you about is well…you, your history I mean, I barely know you and to be honest it kinda unnerves me**"

"**Oh sorry, bad habit I carried over from my military life y'know? Well as you can see I'm a short stack…so growing up I was always picked on and got into fights. So my dad and a few of his buddies taught me how to fight, soon no one messed with me…though a few did try with their friends. Don't get me wrong I didn't like to fight, I'd often try to walk away but sometimes your enemy makes it hard y'know? Anyway I moved around a lot due to my dad being in the military, somehow we always ended up back in King County though, which was fine by me, I more than enjoyed seeing the world. It was just the amount of women being brought home that bothered me, he's always been a hopeless romantic, he'd use to say to me '**_**Baby girl, I swear she's the one**_**' and the one never came along which deep down did bother me because I always wanted a mom**"

"**So whatever happened to your mom then, if you don't mind me asking**"

"**Honestly, I don't know, my dad won't tell me a thing, not even now**"

"**I'm sorry to hear that**"

"**I'm not, I think once I got older, I got over it**"

"**I see, please continue**"

"**Sure, so anyway once I got old enough I joined the army, sure my dad was a little against it but once I explained to him why I wanted in, he just smiled and said he understood. So I went through training and he was there with his squad at my graduation, it was nice. When I was in the army I went up through the ranks just like everybody else, but I guess I had been scouted during a mission for a position in the US Army Rangers. They said that if I could pass their school, I'd get in. And I passed with flying colors, so they hired me of course and I've been in the Rangers for a long time, even gotten to serve alongside a few Navy SEAL's in my life which is pretty cool.**"

"**Wow, your dad must be proud, and Rick and Shane too**"

"**Oh my dad is, Rick and Shane however…they don't exactly…**_**know**_** that I'm a Ranger, they think I'm just regular forces**"

"**And why's that?**"

"**I dunno, I just don't like worrying them I guess… and Shane, well Shane I didn't even tell him I'd left for the military, I figure it was either my dad or Rick**"

"**Why's that?**"

"**It's…complicated**"

"**I'm sure it's not that complicated, try me**"

"**I met Rick when my dad moved to King County the first time, I think I was in first grade, anyway me and Rick became the best of friends. Whenever we'd get re-stationed in King County I'd always take the time to see Rick and play with him. When I finally moved back to King County for good in high school that's where I met Shane…he was a player, a womanizer if you will, always getting the ladies. He'd tried a time or two, to get with me but he never did. That is until senior year, he'd finally stopped sleeping around with girls just to show me that he'd changed, even went as far as to not even check them out or bother with 'em, I was sure he was serious so at the beginning of the year when he'd asked me out, I finally said yes.**"

"**Wow what a sweet tale, high school sweethearts, but what happened?**"

"**On our graduation night he…he wanted to take me to prom, and being his girlfriend for close to a year I said yes of course…I got one of my famous bad feelings but ignored it…anyway he and I were dancing and enjoying our time, even shared our first kiss…which also happened to be my first kiss…after the song was over, one of Shane's friends Desmond came running up to him saying that a friend had been in a fight, so Shane ran off, which I was fine with. About 20 or so minutes had passed, I'd gotten worried, so I finally went in the direction he'd left. It wasn't hard to find him seeing as he really couldn't have gone far what with the rest of the area blocked off by the school's yard that had high walls around the perimeter, but anyway, I saw him standing in the gazebo with my high school nemesis Hilary Knowles. At first they were just talking, she saw me, she grabbed Shane and kissed him. Shane hadn't fought to get away and Hilary looked back at me and said '**_**Oh, I hadn't seen you there Peyton**_**' my heart broke and I ran away crying. I heard Shane run after me and call my name but I didn't stop running**"

"**That's horrible**"

"**Yep, so that was even more incentive to join the military and so I did, without even a goodbye to him**" Dale nodded thoughtfully before turning back to me.

"**That brings me to my next question, about your love life, it seems you have about 4 or 5 men on the go**"

"**Akio liked me, I liked him, he got possessive and we weren't even dating so I cut that off. Shane and I are just working on being friends, it's awkward as hell still…I may have forgiven as dictated in my religion but I haven't forgotten, and I know not to stick my nose where it hurts more than once. If you're referring to Ben or Dallas, they're just family to me, we just joking flirt**"

"**And Jim?**"

"**Jim and I are actually official. Boyfriend and girlfriend.**"

"**Seems like kind of a bad choice given the situation don't you think?**"

"**Yeah I know, I've thought about it believe me. But I have real feelings for him, I realise it's only been a day and a bit since I met him…but I can't help but feel pulled to him for some reason, it just feels like I need to be with him y'know?**"

"**Sounds dangerously like love**"

"**Yeah, it does, doesn't it? It's crazy but…he feels the same**"

"**Well I hope for your guys' sake we find the cure**"

"**Same here Dale, same here**"

"**Now I have more questions but the other reason I came down was because Jim was askin' for you again and Rick and Shane want to have a meeting with the group**"

"**Alright I'll head on up, just let me grab my shirts so I can dry 'em later**" I said before jogging off to grab my shirts. By the time I'd grabbed them Dale was already partially up the quarry hill waiting for me so I jogged up to him and we walked the rest of the way into camp. The group had all gathered together already and had formed a kind of a circle, but that didn't stop the eyes that fell on me. It felt like the eyes never left me, when Shane's dark brown eyes caught sight of my body, his face went red and he forced himself to look away. I couldn't stand all the stares, I felt as if everyone was staring at my scars which made me EXTREMELY self-conscious. I suddenly wanted my wet shirt back.

"**Everybody listen up. Those of you with C.B.s, we're gonna be on channel 40. Let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, don't have a C.B., can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?**" Shane ordered calmly, I couldn't help but find him to be a decent leader…If he could just keep his penis in his pants that is. Morales looked down nervously then as if a small bit of bravery popped in he looked up at Shane.

"**We're, uh… We're… we're not going**" He stated calmly, we all looked at him in disbelief. That statement alone left us in pure awe, some of us even had their jaw drop.

"**We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people**" Morales' wife spoke up next, standing behind her husband's decision.

"**You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back**" Shane responded as a matter of factly, and I agreed with Shane, they were nuts. I don't blame them for wanting to be with their family, make sure they're alive. On top of that they were probably scared to hell from those geeks invading our camp last night but that still doesn't qualify to try and make it on your own, it was simply too dangerous.

"**We'll take the chance, I gotta do what's best for my family**" Morales insisted as he looked from his wife and back to Shane again, taking a confident step forward as if to say "_I'm standing by my decision, and no one will change it_".

"**You sure?**" Rick asked as a last chance offer.

"**We talked about it. We're sure**" Morales answered in finality.

"**All right. Shane**"

"**Yeah…all right**" Rick looked to Shane next who momentarily hesitated before they both crouched down and began rifling through our weapons bag.

"**357?**" Rick asked Shane.

"**Yeah**" He mumbled back in response before the pair walked over to Morales. Rick handed Morales a 357 while Shane handed him a box of ammo.

"**The box is half full**" Shane muttered solemnly as Morales accepted the gifts. It was clear, we all thought they were stupid. But what could we do? Carl who was next to me tapped my arm and tugged on it slightly to signal to me that he wanted to say something.

"**What is it Carl?**" I whispered so that only he could hear.

"**Say something, they'll listen to you**"

"**Buddy, I don't think-**"

"**Please just try**" He begged and I sighed before nodding as I stood up.

"**Look Morales, I think what's best for your family is for you guys to stay with us, safety in numbers right?**"

"**You SAW what happened last night Miss Tacoma, you KNOW the damage in numbers!**" Morales barked, clearly I'd struck a nerve, which struck mine because he was being idiotic and needlessly throwing his and his family's lives away.

"**And if Rick and Shane two former sheriff's plus my squad of former military personnel hadn't have been here, you'd all have been toast! We have the training, we handled it, yes we lost people, but not all of us. Like you will if you go out on your own!**" I snapped back taking a step forward.

"**That may be so, but it isn't your decision, you can't make us stay**"

"**Oh believe me I could, but I don't want to, there's a major difference! In case you haven't figured it out yet Morales, you're walking into suicide**" I growled out.

"**Be that as it may, we're still leaving, end of discussion**"

"**Fine**" I replied tersely and knelt beside Carl again.

"**Sorry bud I tried**" I said solemnly, he went to hug me and I quickly stood and made my way to the RV. I still couldn't really handle being near kids…not after that incident 2 years back. I shook the memory from my mind and trotted up the steps. A grin grew wide on my facial features when I saw Jim up in his bed, he had a sheen of sweat covering his skin, my smile dulled down to a small one as I walked over to him and sat on the edge of the bed. He immediately latched onto me in a desperate hug, I wrapped my arms gingerly around him and rubbed his back lovingly as I placed a kiss on his shoulder.

"**The-the nightmares P-Peyton they're horrible!**" He shivered out and I felt my heart sink.

"**I'm so sorry Jim, but we'll find the cure, I promise**"

"**What if we don't?**"

"**We will, don't think like that Jim**" I cooed softly and he pulled apart from me for a second before looking at me with his chocolate brown eyes, they softened before he took a hold of the back of my neck with one of his large hands and leaned in, I let my eyes close before leaning in the rest of the way and giving him a long passionate kiss. We were interrupted by someone clearing their throat and it was Dale. I blushed like a teenager caught in the act and grinned sheepishly.

"**We're about to take leave but Shane wants to talk to you first**" I quirked an eyebrow of confusion before turning to look at Jim, he gave me a reassuring smile so I gave him a quick peck on the lips and once he'd returned the affection I grabbed Shane's hat and left the RV and looked around the camp for Shane.

"**Kit! Over here!**" He called out and I turned my head to follow the direction of his voice, he was over by the '09 Dodge Challenger Glenn had brought to camp. I walked over to him and he smiled slightly when his eyes landed on his ball cap that rested snugly on my head.

"**Look, I wanna to talk to you about the CDC thing**"

"**Yeah sure**"

"**Look, kit, I respect the hell outta you for protecting Jim the way you did, and it's floated around the camp that you and Jim are…together**"

"**Uh huh and where's this going exactly?**"

"**It's just…I dunno if it's such a good idea to keep the two of you together on this trip y'know?**" He blurted out and grabbed my hat from his head and nervously fiddled with it with his hands. This seemed to be another nervous tick of his.

"**And why exactly is that Shane?**" I growled out getting upset.

"**Well I just don't want him getting his hopes up is all I mean what if we don't find the cure, what if it's a dead end?**"

"**And what if it isn't **_**Walsh**_**? Then what?!**" I snapped back throwing his last name at him and he flinched, I took a mental note that it bothered him that I used his last name instead of a nickname or his actual name.

"**Look he's a mess-**"

"**And he'll be worse without me so you better-**" I was cut off mid-sentence by the sound of the RV door shutting and it rumbling to life.

"**What the hell?!**" I exclaimed as I turned to run towards the now moving vehicle, as soon as I went to run Shane grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back and tight against his body. I flailed and screamed Jim's name repeatedly as I jumped around like a frantic monkey in an attempt to break Shane's hold on me. It felt like the day Rick got shot all over again, my heart sunk and I felt sick to my stomach. After a few more moments of flailing I finally tired out and Shane's grip loosened slightly and I stormed off to grab my clothes that were probably dry by now. I slid Jim's shirt over me and held the other articles of clothing in my arm before turning back to Shane.

"**Which car am I sitting in?**"

"**You'll be with me in Dusty Jr.**"

"**Don't even **_**try**_** and use that nickname on me now Walsh, I hate you**" I snarled and stormed off to grab all of my gear before throwing it in the back seat of the '87 Jeep Wrangler Shane nicknamed Dusty Jr. after that I hopped in the passenger seat and rested my elbow on the door after I shut it and let my chin sit on the palm of my hand as I stared at the scenery to my right. I tuned Shane out and I let my thoughts drift off to my dad and Jim. I felt the car rumble to life and follow the line of vehicles that had been waiting and we left our camp. After about an hour or so I felt the Jeep come to a stop and I broke away from my thoughts to see the RV ahead smoking.

"**Stay here**" Shane said before leaving the Jeep. He met up with T-Dog, and once they parted T-Dog headed over to me.

"**Hey P**"

"**T**"

"**How're you holding up?**"

"**Fine**"

"**Look, I don't like what they did to you and Jim, for what it's worth I tried to reason with them**"

"**Thanks T**" I said looking over at him with a small smile, moments later Jacqui emerged from the RV in a panic. I popped my head up and unbuckled my seatbelt before leaping out of the Jeep door where the window would be if it were raised and booked it around the front, T-Dog went to block me but I straight-armed him like a football player and spun around him and dashed like a bat out of hell to the RV. No one had the time to stop me by the time I reached the group I heard her crying.

"**Y'all, Jim…it's bad. I don't think he can take anymore**" She said with worry. My heart broke at her words and my jaw dropped.

"**No, no he can make it!**" I said with a frantic tone, everyone looked at me with sad eyes. Jacqui retreated into the RV and I pushed my way through the crowd of people that tried to block my path. Eventually I made it into the RV, I heard Rick and Shane talking out front but I didn't care, I rushed to Jim's side and slid onto my knees beside the bed like I was a baseball player sliding for the home plate. I took Jim's hand and gently held it in mine.

"**Peyton, no, you can't see me like this**"

"**Jim, I said I'd be here with you until the end, and I don't intend to break that promise now**" I shot back, Jim thought for a moment before slowly nodding his head. Rick came in moments later and asked me to go speak with Dale about the Rad hose I shook my head and glared angrily at him.

"**Look Peyton once we're back on the road I will let you stay with Jim, so please, let me have a talk with Jim**" Jim once again reassured me that it was ok and I stepped out front. Shane was nowhere to be seen, Akio was with Andrea, occasionally sneaking peeks at me, and Ben was with Sophie as she held onto her little doll that Morales' daughter had given her. Dallas strode over to me and gave me a hug which I half-heartedly returned as I stared at the open door to the RV and Dale came from around the front moments later.

"**Shane's gone ahead to look for a rad hose for the RV, hopefully he'll find something even if it isn't a gas station we'll likely find a car parked somewhere and grab one from it**"

"**Sounds like a plan but why do you need me?**"

"**Because you're a gear head like me and Dale here**" Merle said as he popped out of nowhere with his lopsided grin.

"**Fine, I'm in, I just hope Shane finds something and fast**" After a few minutes of me and Merle discussing cars which had stemmed from his statement about the Winnebago engine being a hunk of junk, Rick emerged from the RV and Carol approached him. I hadn't heard the first part of the conversation but I certainly heard the rest.

"**It's what he wants**" Rick stated plainly as Daryl moved to his side.

"**And he's lucid?**" Carol asked in bewilderment.

"**He seems to be, I would say yes**" Rick said as he fiddled with his hat in his hands, Shane whispered something to Rick so I charged over to them and when Rick saw me he averted his gaze immediately, as did everyone else.

"**What's going on? What did Jim say?**"

No answer.

"**It's not your call, either one of ya**" Lori piped up quietly looking at both Rick and Shane before looking back down at her shoes. A few seconds later Rick and Shane went into the RV and came out with a groaning Jim.

"**Wait! Hey! What're you doing? Hey! Are you listening to me you dumb fucks?! STOP!**" I yelled at them furiously as they set him down at the nearest tree.

"**Mini tank please, honey, I asked them to put me here**"

"**Why? Did you need fresh air or something?**" I asked softly as Rick and Shane stepped away.

"**Hey, another damn tree**" He joked as he looked from the tree to Shane who gave him a second long small smile.

"**Hey, Jim…I mean, you know it doesn't need to be this**"

"**No, it's good. The breeze feels nice**" He said through short breaths. Shane looked down upset.

"**Ok. All right**" He breathed out before tapping his thigh and stepping back beside Rick and Andrea. Slowly my mind began to wrap around what was going on and I didn't even try to stop as hot tears rolled down my cheeks and the sniffling began. Jacqui went to him next and smiled softly.

"**Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight**" She said as a tear rolled down her cheek and she kissed him on his cheek. Rick was next to go and held a gun in his hand out to Jim.

"**Jim, do you want this?**"

"**No, you'll need it. I'm ok. I'm ok**" Jim wheezed out as he looked to Rick, Rick just nodded slightly and turned to the group, keeping his back to Jim. I could tell he couldn't stand to see this either. I was paralyzed with the realization… for the first time in my adult life…I didn't know what to do. I vaguely saw Dale approach Jim and say something to him.

"**Mini tank, c'mere darlin'**" He called out softly and my head snapped up. I wasted no time going to him, I knelt between his open legs and wrapped my arms around him. The group left but I could feel some of them watching us. I let my tears fall freely and I cried, my body shaking like a leaf as I let myself become a mess. I buried my head into the crook of his neck.

"**Please, say it ain't so, please baby please don't give up, I need you…I love you**" I begged as my fists grabbed balls of his shirt.

"**Shh baby, it's all right. I've fought as hard as I could but it's almost my time, I gotta be able to protect you after all you've done for me… you gave me the light of hope…and you gave me love**"

"**Jim, stop it please! You can do this I know you can!**" I cried out and he just smiled softly as he pushed me back a bit. He took my face in his hands and smiled so softly it was the final piece to break my heart into tiny shards as he looked me dead in the eye.

"**I love you Peyton Rose Tacoma, and I want you to survive this, for yourself, for me, and for the family you have left, I'll be watching over you and protecting you**" He cooed softly, I lost it and went into a fit of more tears.

"**I-I love you too Jim**"

"**Be strong**" He said before he crashed his lips onto mine, I kissed him back with such ferocity I'm sure it bruised the both of us, he returned the force right back. Our lips met and parted about 100 times before his body jerked.

"**Peyton, what I'm about to ask you is something I know is going to be hard on you**" He said before sliding his hand to my knife sheath. I looked down at it then at him and thought for a moment before withdrawing my S.O.G. Pup knife (U.S. Army Ranger issue). I looked around and saw that everyone had gotten into their cars, no one was looking. I kissed him a few more times and held onto him.

"**Just give me a minute ok? This is very hard…Damn it all to hell….I love you so much Jim, so damn much, I'm so sorry**"

"**Don't be, I want this**"

"**I know but, I just…I wanted that CDC thing so damn much! I thought for sure we could save you!**"

"**I know, I know, me too mini tank, but remember, there's strength in love, so stay strong for us, for them, they need you like I did**"

"**Ok, I'll do it…for us**"

"**That's my girl, oh and before I forget-**" Jim trailed off as he removed his cap and handed it to me still smiling.

"**I signed it for you and everything, take a look**" I took it into my hands and saw that he'd written our names on it and phrases like "be strong", "strength in love", "don't give up", "I'm always here". I lost it all over again and held the hat close to my heart.

"**I love you Peyton, but you gotta do it now, I'm slipping**"

"**Ok…I love you too Jim, I love you so much**"

"**We'll be together again one day**"

"**I know Jimbo, I know**"

"**Hey look at that I got a nickname**"

"**That you did**" I whispered softly as I gave him one last long kiss before wrapping my left arm around his side. We repeatedly kissed each as I drove the knife into his right temple, he jerked once before going limp. I cried my eyes out as I withdrew the knife from his skull. Brain matter and blood dripped from it so I quickly wiped it on the grass. I felt a pair of large arms hoist me up and pull me into them. I opened my eyes and saw that it was Merle.

Holy shark repellant Batman! That took me AGES! Sorry for the late post, I've been so busy with crap that I've totally put this on the back burner. I'm going to try and crank out another chapter today but I work tonight and stuff so I dunno when I'll get to it. Plus if I have enough in trade credit plus my employee discount at work I'm going to get Dead Space 3 which will definitely eat up my time :D. Hope you guys like this chapter and I'm sorry it took so long and that the chapter itself is long…8 pages long D:. Bye guys! Thanks for the support so far!


	13. Wildfire Part IV

I stood there awhile holding onto Merle sobbing; eventually he guided me to his and Daryl's car with one arm that repeatedly stroked mine. I felt eyes on me all of a sudden but I couldn't bring myself to look up, this was the first time I'd broken down, especially this bad. I was a shaking, crying ball of a mess; it was so bad that I hadn't even registered Merle putting me in the car until he slid into the back seat next me.

"**Hey shh, shh, shh, c'mon sugar pie, where's my little badass ball of fury?**" Merle spoke up, his tone and voice soft and gentle. I saw Daryl looking back occasionally in the mirror.

"**C'mon Peyton, come back to me**" Merle pleaded, but his voice sounded like it was so far away to me, I couldn't stop playing back every moment of my short time with Jim, and the part that replayed over and over in my mind were the final moments. I couldn't shake that thought from my mind, and every time I cried harder. It wasn't until we reached this nice suburban area that I finally moved, I wasn't sure how long we'd been driving, for me it felt like mere seconds but I know that it had to be longer than that. I raised my head from Merle's shoulder and looked up and out of the window, my eyes burned from all of the crying but I shook my head and began to rub furiously at my face rubbing both the dried, and fresh tears off of my cheeks.

"**There's my sugar pie, we're almost at CDC**" Merle piped up cheerily and yet his voice was still so careful.

"**Yeah**" was all I could manage as I licked my lips and swallowed. My mouth had gotten so dry from all of my crying, and before I knew Daryl had handed a bottle of water to Merle who handed it to me.

"**Thank you**" I rasped before taking huge gulps of water from the bottle. Despite it being warm, it felt amazing on my lips and the inside of my mouth. A few minutes had passed and the caravan had stopped and so did we. Soon after people began to file out, I wasted no time in going for the door but Merle grabbed my biceps and stopped me.

"**Listen sugar pie, I don't think it's such a good idea you goin' out there just yet**"

"**And why not?**"

"**Well, y'know the thing that happened earlier…I mean…it did a toll on you**"

"**I'm better now, maybe not completely, but I'm fit enough to walk around**"

"**Baby girl you have a knife in your hand and you just went through a traumatic experience**"

I looked at him confused before looking down at my hand. I was still clutching tightly onto my blood stained knife with my right hand. I looked back up at Merle and mustered all of the mental strength had left repeating Jim's words in my mind '_Stay strong'_.

"**Merle. I appreciate your concern, but I'm fit for duty, I promise you this**" I said with determination and a small smirk appeared on his face.

"**There's my little spitfire**" He cheered and I managed a genuine smile and with that we both got out of the car and strode casually to the rest of the group. Carol was the first to greet me with a hug which I gladly returned, she smiled at me, I didn't know why, but soon the groups eyes landed on me and they all smiled…except for Andrea. As everyone started to move again we began to see carnage, half-eaten corpses littered the roads and grounds. Blood spatters splayed everywhere next to their respective bodies, it certainly made our campfire battle grounds look like a walk in the park. As we moved on the smell of rotting bodies got worse, and thankfully my nose had grown accustomed to it since the outbreak. A few of us gagged, fighting to keep the vomit down while still trying to stay quiet.

Thankfully we passed the first checkpoint soon and made our way through the large foregrounds that was now a cemetery but with the minor difference of no tombstones or dirt filled holes. It took us a few minutes but we finally made our way to what looked like smaller versions of loading bay doors, Rick and Shane tried lifting one up but it was to no avail.

"**Nothing?**" Shane piped up before pounding on the door.

"**There's nobody here**" T-Dog said, disappointment clear in his tone.

"**Then why are the shutters down?**" Rick shot back.

"**WALKERS!**" Daryl hollered and everyone with a weapon raised it, unfortunately the weapons were all guns, minus Daryl's crossbow. Daryl raised his crossbow to fire but I had already run to the walker and leapt into the air and drove my knife into its skull before ripping it out with a slew of loud and sickening cracks and sloshing noises. I wiped my knife on its uniform until the blood was all off before storming back over to the group, Rick immediately got in my space and jabbed his finger into my chest.

"**THAT was DANGEROUS Rabbit what in the HELL were you thinking?!**" He chastised.

"**I was THINKING, that I should dispatch the walker before any one of us had to fire our weapons, THAT is what I was thinking RICK**" I growled back as I swatted his hand away from me.

"**You've lost it**" He continued.

"**No, I haven't. If you had have fired your weapon it would have attracted more and look around Rick we're stuck around a possible sleeping horde!**" I said pointing all around me.

"**Baby, c'mon**" Lori said tugging on him.

"**Fine, but refrain from doing that again**"

"**Can't make any promises, but I'll try**" I breathed out.

"**You led us into a graveyard!**" Daryl exclaimed angrily.

"**He made a call**" Shane defended.

"**It was the wrong damn call!**" Daryl shot back.

"**Just shut up, you hear? Shut up, shut up!**" Shane bellowed jabbing his finger at Daryl viciously before turning to Rick.

"**Rick, this is a dead end**" Shane reasoned.

"**Where are we gonna go?**" Jacqui asked panicking frantically.

"**Do you hear me? No blame**" Shane pushed.

"**She's right, we can't be this close to the city after dark**" Lori joined in.

"**Fort Benning, Rick…still an option**" Shane suggested

"**On what? No food, no fuel, that's 100 miles**" Andrea interjected.

"**125, I checked the map**" Glenn added.

"**Forget Fort Benning, we need answers tonight, now**" Lori demanded and I began to feel fury rise up in me, making my blood boil.

"**We'll think of something**" Rick reassured her, but it didn't look like she put much faith into that statement.

"**C'mon, let's go. Let's get out of here. Let's go. Please**" Shane begged and Rick finally budged, the group began to walk away but I stayed still. Lori noticed and stopped while turning herself to face me.

"**C'mon Rabbit, we're heading out**" She called out softly, causing everyone to look at me.

"**I ain't going**" I mumbled.

"**What's that?**" Shane asked.

"**I ain't going!**" I barked, snapping my head up to look at him with defiance.

"**And why's that?**" Rick growled.

"**Oh c'mon guys, you can't honestly figure it out? We came here to find the cure, she lost Jim before we even got the chance to save him, I'm sure this means a lot to her finding this cure**" Carol reasoned before smiling sadly at me.

"**I refuse to let anyone else lose a life!**" I yelled at them, my facial expression went from anger to sadness.

"**Too many have already been lost**" I muttered, Rick's face also changed but to sympathy before letting his eyes snap to my right.

"**The camera…it moved**" Rick stated calmly.

"**You imagined it**" Dale intervened.

"**It moved. It moved**" Rick said as he walked toward the bay doors again.

"**Rick, it is dead, man. It's an automated device. It's gears, ok? Just winding they're just winding down. Now come on**" Shane begged but Rick didn't listen instead he looked at me before slamming his fists against the door.

"**Rick there's nobody here!**" Lori cried out in frustration as she stormed over to him along with Shane. I stormed over too but only to join in with Rick, he looked at me in thanks and relief.

"**If Rick says someone's here, I believe him! If Rick saw that Camera move, I believe him**" I stated calmly before slamming the sides of my fists at the door.

"**I know you're in there, I know you can hear me!**" Rick began to yell at the camera.

"**Rabbit stop! You're making this worse! Man just listen to me, look around this place it's dead, okay? It's dead. You two need to let it go**" Shane ordered and we ignored him, butShane and Lori tried to pull us away.

"**Everybody back to the cars, now!**" Shane commanded once again still trying to pry us away but we weren't budging.

"**Please, we're desperate. Please help us. We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left**" Rick pleaded helplessly throwing his hand up at the camera dramatically, his voice cracking.

"**Rick there's nobody here**" Lori tried reasoning again as she put herself in front of Rick and tried to push him back.

"**We have nowhere else to go**" Rick tried again, still no response from the camera and Rick began to slam on the door again I joined him.

"**Please! We'd help you if roles were reversed!**" I chimed in.

"**Keep your eyes open! If you don't let us in, you're killing us! Please!**" Rick continued.

"**Come on guys, let's go. Let's go**" Shane said grabbing me by my waist with one arm and dragging me back, I squirmed around and tried to wriggle free as Lori grabbed her husband and began to pull him back too.

"**Please help us! You're killing us! You're killing us! You're killing us!**" Rick cried out, his voice full on shaking with desperation and sadness. But just when we had finally turned and given up, we heard the sound of the door rising up and soon we were bathed in a white light. We all stood there like a herd of deer in headlights.

A/N: Sorry that this one was short but I didn't want to merge two episodes together. Hope y'all like it, more drama and POSSIBLE Shane and Peyton lovin' moments ahead ;) I've been meaning to give credit to hypoweb, it's a site that has the exact script from the TV series for most episodes, just Google Script VO and their site will appear hypoweb dot net keep in mind I just spelled out the website. However, they don't have a script for Season 1: Episode 6: TS-19 so if someone could pm me a link that'd be great! Thanks to all those who have been following and liking my stories, if you'd like to contribute some ideas of your own, I'd be more than happy to take them in via pm! But first priority is that script!


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